The Darkness Within
by Mortifer V
Summary: A story featuring original characters of my own creation. It is told through the perspective of the main characters. It focuses on the journey the main protagonist had to experience during his time in this VRMMORPG named Sword Art Online. Read the introduction for more details.
1. Introduction

**Introduction/Summary**

On January 1st, of 2004, a child was born. The name of this child, is Katsumoto Kirigaya. A somewhat rebellious child, he was disliked by his family for his personality though his parents still cared for him. A new addition to his life came about when his baby brother was born. The name of his brother, is Kazuto Kirigaya. Proud to be a big brother, he decided to take care of his little brother, but his life took a big turn when his parents died the very next day in an accident. And so, he and his brother were adopted by his Oba-san and Oji-san. They also disliked him. Yet he still took care of his little brother until eventually, his cousin, Suguha Kirigaya, was born. As Kazuto got along better with his newly born cousin than his own brother, Katsumoto's relationship with his family became complicated. When Kazuto finally found out that he and Suguha were not siblings and that his "parents" were not his true parents, Katsumoto reached to the point where he seemed like an outsider to the family. He pulled pranks on his family constantly, and only did his chores when he felt like it. But Katsumoto's life took a turn for the "better" when the creation of Virtual Reality came about. Because he loved video games, Katsumoto couldn't wait for the very special NerveGear and its companion game Sword Art Online to come out. And on November 6th, 2022, Katsumoto took up a new identity. He took up the name Mortifer, which he made up using his knowledge of Latin. His life changed again when he found out he was trapped inside Sword Art Online, and that death in-game means death in real life. Filled with the will to survive, he finds a companion whom he travels along with throughout Aincrad. During his travels, he meets more people (and sometimes encounters his own brother Kirito, who was also locked up in the game) and eventually starts living a small life within Aincrad. But Mortifer's view on life changed in one single, stormy night in the world of Sword Art Online.

The story will be using two symbols that have different meanings:

• _Italics_ indicate that the word inside the symbol is either a nickname, an item name, a guild name, the name of a sword skill or magic spell

(Eg. _Long Sword, The Samurai, Wolves of the Full Moon, Linear_ )

• Underlined indicate that the word inside the symbol is the name of a location, the name of a skill, or the name of an ability of a skill

(Eg. Starting City, One-Handed Sword, Tracking)

 _Disclaimer_

 _This is a fan fiction. Sword Art Online is owned by A-1 Pictures, Anniplex USA, and Reki Kawahara (the author). I do not own any part of SAO whatsoever._


	2. Chapter 1: World of Swords

**(Katsumoto)**

 **November, 2022 Japan**

"Onii-chan!" I heard a voice yell from up ahead, "I'm going to my activities now!"

It's my little sister, Sugu. Her full name is Kirigaya Suguha and she's technically my cousin. My younger brother, Kazuto and I were adopted by her family the day after our parents died. She became our adoptive sister when she was born a year after.

Sad part is, is that my brother, Kazuto, was only a day old when they got into a car accident. I was four years old then. At that time, I didn't know how to react to my parents' death. It was just so sudden that I didn't know if I should've been happy or sad. I say happy because they didn't like my personality back then, and I didn't like being told what to do. Sad would be for obvious reasons.

Now it's been about fourteen years when that happened and I haven't missed them at all. Neither does Kazuto because he didn't know that his real parents were dead until he was ten. Found out about it while surfing the web. He always was good with computers and how to search through the world wide web.

Anyway it's about time I introduce myself. My name is Kirigaya Katsumoto. I am eighteen years old and have graduated from high school recently as one of the top students there. Truthfully, I don't even care about my own education. My sole focus is on video games. Because of that, today must be the best day of my life.

A few days ago, I bought Sword Art Online, the world's first VRMMORPG A Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role Play Game. There were only ten-thousand copies sold. I stood out in a line for two days straight waiting to get my copy. Although my patience got decimated, I think it was worth the wait.

Lucky for Kazuto he was one of the one-thousand people chosen to go into the SAO closed-beta. For a month's time, he got to delve into a virtual world before anybody else could. He's always the lucky one.

As I continued walking home I passed by Suguha, my cousin.

"How's it going sis?" I asked her.

As usual, all I get is a mean frown in return. I guess this is my punishment for being on bad terms with everyone in the family. Then again, who cares about that?

"What? Don't like being called sis? Or are you still pissed from yesterday?"

"Yeah cause pouring ice water down my back is supposed to be easily forgiven!" She screamed at me. I raised my hands in a surrender like fashion and apologized to her. She started walking off but I stopped her.

"Hey," I called out to her "congrats on the national kendo tournament last weekend. You placed 5th, right? Only one place behind me. That's too bad…"

I tried being sympathetic but I think she took that as an insult. She's always striving to be in the top, and so her goal is to beat me when I used to do kendo. I think I placed 4th, maybe 3rd. Ah, it was so long ago I can't remember. I also don't want to remember that horrible memory.

With a nasty frown on her face, Suguha stormed past me and headed to her activities. I shrugged my shoulders and continued walking back home.

 **Ten minutes later**

In two minutes, the SAO servers will start up and I can enter the game. I made myself a sandwich and started devouring it completely. I want to make sure I'm not starved when I get out of the game, since I'm determined to stay there for as long as possible.

As I was walking to my room and eating my sandwich I passed by Kazuto's room. I put my ear on the door and heard him listening to some news report or video. I smiled evily and hit Kazuto's door as hard as possible. I heard something fall on the floor with a bang.

"Go away Katsumoto!" Kazuto yelled out of anger.

I smiled and went inside my room. And there it was sitting on my nightstand, the NerveGear. The device that made SAO possible. This thing can trigger all five of your senses. Sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. All of it is replicated by this machine through the use of microwave radiation. Well, that's what the manual says at least.

One minute left until the SAO servers start. I quickly changed my clothes to more comfortable ones and layed down on my bed. I put on my NerveGear and turned it on. Then, I waited. It was the longest minute of my life. It felt like eternity. I stared at the clock on my NerveGear as my internal timer kept ticking.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Finally, the minute has passed and the time turned into one o' clock. I slowly closed my eyes and said the magic words. "Link start!" Then I heard the voice who said the words that I will remember forever.

"Welcome to Sword Art Online!"

 **(Mortifer)**

 **Aincrad, 1st floor Town of Beginnings**

I opened my eyes and it was just like I imagined it to be. It was a complete virtual world. Players from all over Japan started appearing everywhere. All of the ten-thousand players were now logging on to experience a whole new world. I scanned the city around me as more and more players joined. That's when I saw him. Kirito, Kazuto's videogame persona.

Originally, Kirito was going to be my character's name, but Kazuto participated in the closed-beta, allowing him to take the name first. Because of that, he forced me to come up with a different name.

I decided that the name I will use in this world is Mortifer. To others, it may seem like a standard name, but to me and anybody who knows Latin, that's a completely different story. The name means "death bringer" or "deadly" in Latin. I chose this name since I want to fight others and strive to be the strongest there is. Heck, I may even become a villain to reflect on my real-world persona even more.

Going back to Kirito, he looks nothing like what he does in real life. In fact, he looks a bit like me in real life, and that's how I knew it was Kirito. I moved my body around and admired my own avatar. It looks like me in the real world, but the face is what matters the most. If only I had a mirror…

Nonethless, it wasn't even ten minutes into the game before I saw Kirito break off into a sprint. He pushed past a few players who glared at him afterwards. I shrugged my shoulders and began following him. After all, the rule of starting a new game, is to follow someone who already knows it.

 **Two minutes later**

We were running through what seems like a market. I can see food, weapons, clothes, and more. The NPC shopkeepers conversed with the player customers who were browsing their goods. The only outliers in the whole market were me and Kirito, who pushed past the crowd.

Fortunately, Kirito hasn't spotted me following him yet. Unfortunately, some red-haired guy with a headband also started following Kirito, so I slowed down my pace and let him get to Kirito. I stayed back a little bit farther but close enough to hear them.

"Hey! You there!" the red-haired guy called out to my brother, making him slow down to a stop. The man caught up with Kirito and stopped to recover his breath.

"Me?" Kirito asked the stranger.

"I noticed that you move without hesitation. Were you in the beta test?"

"Y-Yeah." Kirito nervously replied.

"Today's my first day, see." The man began talking, "Will you give me tips to get through the early levels?"

"Uh…"

The strange man then clapped his hands together as if he were praying.

"Please! I'm begging you! M-My nam'es Klein. Nice to meet you." He greeted my brother.

"M-my name's Kirito. Nice to meet you too."

The two of them shook hands and Kirito agreed to teach Klein the basics of the game. This is also my chance to learn the basics of the game. I didn't tell Kirito that I bought SAO, and if I walked up to him and asked him for help, he would definitely deny me without a second thought.

Kirito motioned for Klein to follow him and he did so without hesitation. I began following them as well, making sure to stay back where they can't see me. The three of us then proceeded to head to the city gates.

 **Ten minutes later, 1st floor outside the Starting City**

From this distance, I'm only able to watch Kirito demonstrate the basic rules and tactics of the game and not hear what he is saying. I watched as Klein began fighting a _Frenzy Boar_. I passed by a few of them while getting to this spot to eavesdrop. I also determined that the _Frenzy Boars_ are very weak, and passive monsters. Even so, I do not want to fight them as I want to learn from Kirito how to fight effectively and efficiently.

While waiting in the bush, I watched as Klein kept taking blow after blow from the _Frenzy Boar_ , only able to land a few hits on it. I would probably be on the same boat if I didn't already know how to use a sword.

While Klein recovered from the pig's attack, Kirito picked up a small pebble. He held it in a weird fashion and the rock suddenly started to glow. He then threw the rock at the pig, hitting it square on the side. The way he threw it made it seem like a weak throw, but the force and speed of the rock told a completely different story.

The provoked pig began attacking Kirito, who effortlessly blocked it using his sword. He seemed to be talking to Klein, who then held up his sword in a stance for a second or two. The blade glowed red and Kirito kicked the pig away from him. The _Frenzy Boar_ then charged right at Klein.

In an instant, Klein charged right past the boar, making a huge cut on the side of it. The wild pig shivered slightly until its body exploded into millions of pixelated shapes. I'm assuming that is the death animation of this game. At the same time, it looks like that flashy move is more powerful than just swinging your sword around.

Near my current location, I spotted a _Frenzy Boar_ grazing on the grass fields. Curious, I unsheathed my weapon: a begginner's sword given to me at the start of the game. I approached the boar until I was a good meter away from it. I held it in the same stance as Klein but discovered that nothing happened. Am I doing it wrong?

I kept changing my stances until I found one specific stance. I held the sword in my right hand, and let it rest on the left side of my body, as if I were going for a horizontal slice. My blade flashed a brilliant blue and I let my muscles relax as my body began moving on its own.

Almost instantaneously, I took a step forward and performed a power horizontal slice on the boar, with the blade starting at its head and slicing all the way through to its rear. The pig didn't fall apart but rather exploded into pixels, just like the boar Klein defeated.

"So these were the so-called Sword Skills I heard about."

I muttered under my breath. I heard about it from beta-tester reviews previous to the game's official launch. As I thought earlier, they do more damage than normal attacks and seem to be your main source of damage. That is unless you have a powerful sword that can do some insane damage without the use of such skills. That would be nice wouldn't it?

 **A few hours later**

I've separated myself from Kirito and Klein to do some farming by myself. Because I trailed them, I unintentionally leveled up my Hiding skill, which I found to be rather useless since I don't see myself using it often. However, I kept the skill in one of my Skill Slots as I found no other skill I could use.

Other than that, my One-Handed Sword occupied the second and last Skill Slot that was vacant. Because of this constant farming, I'm already close to reaching level two. Even so, it is getting a bit late. The game started at 13:00 and I've been playing since then. Now it's 17:30 and dinner will be ready soon. I guess it's time for me to log out of the game.

I swiped the air with my right hand to open the menu and searched for the Log Out button. The only problem is that it wasn't there. Using my previous knowledge of MMORPGs, the Log Out button will typically in this place, but only a blank white box occupied it. I frantically searched for the Log Out option only to find nothing, What's going on here?

Suddenly, in the distance, a loud bell began ringing. Loud enough that is echoed throughout the landscape. It came from the Starting City which is a good ten-minute walk away from my current location. At the same time, a bright light emitted from the top of Black Iron Palace, the huge black building at the center of the entire city.

At that moment, I felt a tingling sensation coming out from my body. I was then surrounded by light as I felt my body break down into pixels, only to be transported somewhere. I found myself in the central plaza of the city along with thousands of other players, who looked around in confusion. The loud bells stopped ringing, leaving only the sound of people talking. A forced teleport?

I continued looking around, as clueless as everyone else in the city. I spotted Kirito who was still with Klein. He then looked up at the sky and pointed at something. I followed his finger and spotted a single red hexagon in the sky saying:

"Warning."

That one hexagon then grew into multiple others while also giving off another message:

"System Announcement."

The entire sky around us turned red as the hexagons began covering the twilight sky behind it. Everyone continued to stare at the warning messages in confusion when the sky itself suddenly started bleeding. Through the cracks between each warning message, blood oozed out and began forming a grotesque shape.

However, when the blood finished piling up into one, the resulting figure turned out to be a giant cloaked human. It wore a red cloak that covered its entire body except its face, which is blackened out so that nobody can see through. Is this a gamemaster? A GM?

"Attention players," the GM began speaking, "Welcome to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko. At this time, I am the only person able to control what's going on in this world."

People soon began to notice who this guy really is. Kayaba Akihiko is the one man who made this all possible. He invented the NerveGear and created Sword Art Online for it to be the first VRMMORPG. Although he is backed up by a large company called Argus, they merely run the SAO servers according to an article I read online.

"I'm sure you've already noticed that the logout button is missing from the main menu." Kayaba acknowledged, "This however is not a defect in the game. I repeat, this is not a defect in the game, but rather a key feature in Sword Art Online."

W-What does he mean the missing logout button is not a defect? How is not having a logout button not a defect but rather a key feature?

"You cannot log out of SAO under your own free will anymore. Nobody on the outside can shutdown or remove the NerveGear that is resting on your head. Should this happen however, the transmitter that emits microwaves to send signals to your brain will go haywire, sending powerful microwaves into your brain, frying it and thus ending your life."

My body froze in fear while I kept looking at Kayaba with an angered expression. I did hear that the NerveGear uses microwaves to send signals into your brain in order to replicate senses and disable motive functions, but it didn't go seriously in depth with it. There could very well be a way to send a powerful radiation burst if something goes wrong.

"Unfortunately, there have been several instances where a player's friends and families have ignored these warnings I gave them. They all attempted to forcibly remove the NerveGear from their beloved one's head. Thus, two-hundred and thirteen players have already perished and moved onto the afterlife."

Two-hundred thirteen people have died already? As I stood there in disbelief, multiple screens appeared next to Kayaba, showing news articles, live footage, and even more. All of them were about SAO and the current situation.

"News organizations from around the world are already reporting on these incidents, including multiple deaths. The threat of having your NerveGear removed has been significantly reduced unless some people are just stubborn. This will let all of you focus on clearing the game."

"Do keep this mind however: There is no longer any function to revive someone within the game. The instant your HP drops to zero, your avatar will vanish from this world forever. And simultaneously, the NerveGear will proceed to destroy your brains."

Death in the game… Means death in the real world?

"There is only one way for all of you to escape. Beat Sword Art Online." Kayaba announced as he summoned a virtual image of _Floating Castle Aincrad_ , the setting of SAO, "Currently, you are at the 1st and lowest floor of Aincrad. Each time you find the dungeon and defeat the Floor Boss hidden inside each one, you may advance unto the next level. Defeat the final boss at the 100th floor and you will clear the game."

The crowd started an uproar at how ridiculous his words sounded. Even I was angered with his words. The goal of clearing an MMORPG is hard enough, but doing so without dying is unspoken of. In fact, it seems impossible to even do something like that. The Beta Testers didn't even manage to get past the 10th floor during the one month Closed Beta.

"Finally, I've provided you all with a present in your item storage. Please go and see it for yourselves." Kayaba encouraged.

I was curious so I followed his orders. I opened my menu and searched my inventory. All the items I obtained from killing those _Frenzy Boars_ were missing and is instead replaced by one single item. A mirror.

I equipped the mirror and it materialized in front of me. I caught it as it fell to the ground. It looked like an ordinary mirror. I could now see my avatar's face for the first time. Although my face is the same, my hairstyle is completely different from my real-life appearance.

Suddenly, a player nearby began glowing white, as did all other players around him. The same thing happened to me and I had to close my eyes as my body gave off a blinding light. I felt a tingly sensation as if all the hairs of my body stood up. When it all ended, I could not believe my eyes when I looked in the mirror.

I could see myself. Well, more like I could see my real face. The one I had in the real world. To make sure I wasn't hallucinating, I looked towards Kirito's direction. He indeed looked like his normal self in the real-world. A person with a red bandana and orange hair that stood straight up. Is that Klein?

I was just too surprised to speak. I can't even fathom how he accomplished such a feat. To completely replicate our bodies from the real-world. It must have something to do with the NerveGear.

Yes… The NerveGear covers our heads entirely, so it can scan the facial features with ease. Before getting into the game, you would need to calibrate the NerveGear by touching different parts of your body so it knows where your nerve receptors are located. To think they managed to duplicate my body from the real-world into here just by touch…

"Right now," Kayaba continued speaking, "you must all be wondering why? Why would Kayaba Akihiko, the developer of SAO and the NerveGear, do such a thing? I created SAO for one reason which I have just accomplished: to create this world and meddle in it."

"Now… all is complete. This ends the tutorial for the official Sword Art Online launch. I wish you all luck, players."

Kayaba's avatar began dissolving into pixels. Each of those individual pixels turned into blood spots which the red warning messages began to absorb. His entire body got absorbed back into those messages, which disappeared right after, letting us see the twilight sky once again.

It was silent for the longest time. Even now, I could not move my body from the pure shock of what just transpired. I knew he wasn't lying, but I still refused to believe it. If I die in the game, I die in real-life…

The silence broke when all the players at once started screaming and shouting. Cries of help sounded throughout the entire plaza. People screamed at Kayaba to let them out, despite him not being present anymore. I scanned and spotted Kirito once again, whose face held a very serious expression.

My brother grabbed Klein's arm and dragged him away from the plaza. Since I was curious and at the same time, eager to get away from all the chaos, I followed the two of them, making sure I stay in the shadows. Kirito and Klein stopped once they were a few blocks away from the plaza.

"Listen to me carefully Klein." My brother commanded the red-head, "I'm heading to the next village right now. I want you to come with me."

"Huh?" Klein questioned him, holding a confused expression.

"If everything Kayaba Akihiko said is true, then the only way to survive in this world is by making yourself as strong as possible. The resources we earn in a VRMMORPG are limited. EXP, money, and items. The fields surrounding the Town of Beginnings will be hunted clean in no time."

Kirito then summoned a virtual map, that showed the entire 1st floor of Aincrad. He drew a route on the red map, leading to the closest village from the city we were at.

"If we want to be efficient, we should set up base in the next village immideately. That way, we can take over the farming spots there before anybody else. I know all the paths and dangerous areas in the direction to the next village. Getting there at level one should be easy for us."

"But… But you know…" Klein began speaking, "I stayed in line all night with friends from another game to buy this software. They must be out there in the plaza right now. I can't possibly leave them behind."

Kirito looked down on the ground in worry. I could understand exactly what he was thinking, and so can a few others. If one person becomes a hinderance, then a situation that isn't too bad for one or two people could turn catastrophic. A little bit like actual sports such as American Football or Basketball.

If you can't do your job well, the whole team is affected. If Klein's friends can't keep up with Kirito, then it would prove to be very dangerous if they were to wander in a danger zone by accident. I never get those conflicts since I usually work solo in most MMOs.

"Sorry Kirito." Klein continued, "I can hardly ask you for anything else, can I? Go on ahead to the next village. Don't worry about us. I used to run a guild in my last game. With the techniques you taught me, I'm sure we can get by!"

"I see… Then I guess we can say good bye here." Kirito suggested as he began walking away from Klein, "If something happens, message me, okay?"

"Sure!"

"See you around then, Klein…" Kirito began to walk off but Klein suddenly called out for him again.

"Kirito!"

Kirito stopped moving and waited for Klein to speak. The red-head stuttered, unable to voice out his words to Kirito. My brother noticed this and began walking away again, only to be stopped once again.

"Hey, Kirito… Your real appearance is kinda cute, huh?" Klein complimented him with a smile, "I like you better this way."

"And that unkempt face of yours suits you ten times better!"

With that weird conversation, Kirito began running away. Klein walked back towards the plaza and disappeared from sight. Before I could move, Kirito looked back once again to notice that Klein had already left. His eyes seemed to tear and he broke off into a sprint. He must be sad for leaving Klein behind, but I have no clue since I myself am just a selfish person who doesn't care for others.

I emerged from the shadows and began following my brother, whose heavy footsteps masked my own, letting me stay hidden even though I am wide in the open. As we left the city, I turned behind to look back at the giant walls that protected it. I kissed my hand and gave the virtual city a peace sign. On this day, I have to say good bye to one world, and say hello to another.


	3. Chapter 2: Violet

**December 2022, a month later, 1st Floor**

It's been a month since this death game started and a week since I've stopped following my brother. I'm amazed he didn't even spot me at all since a few times I was within ten meters from him. He's showed me where all the good power leveling places are and quests with nice rewards.

I'm currently level fourteen and Kirito was level eleven the last time I saw him. I'm a higher level mainly because I'm training both One-Handed Sword and Hiding at the same time. I've also gone on other quests that will improve my Hiding even more just so I can level up faster. At my current level, I am able to hide from weak monsters and most players.

Although Kirito and I have gotten off on a great start, many other players haven't. The game has been out for one month, and two-thousand players have already died. During the beta test, the beta-testers were way past the 1st floor in a month's time. But now, we are just stuck here, unable to find the boss room in the Labyrinth.

Of course, I cared little for the boss room. Although I want to clear this game as soon as possible, I also want to make sure I'm strong enough to fight everything in my path whether I'm doing it solo or not. My goal right now is to hit level twenty before the 2nd floor is reached, and at the current rate which things are occurring, I am almost there.

 **Later that day, Dusk**

I reached level fifteen today which is a good thing for me. In five more levels, I'll be able to unlock another Skill Slot. Currently I have four Skill Slots which are occupied by One-Handed Sword, Hiding, Parry and finally Searching. Two of them are combat related while the other two are for utility purposes. Now, I'm deciding to get to the closest city as soon as possible. From the looks of it, it is the Starting City which is still an hour or so away.

I stretched my arms as I looked up at the night sky. Hundreds of stars twinkled as the moonlight touched my face. A cool wind breezed past me, making me feel more relaxed. It's almost impossible to tell that all of these things I am sensing are merely virtual sensations.

I admired the beautiful night sky as I casually walked to the Starting City. All was peaceful until I heard a twig snap nearby. I panicked completely and unsheathed my sword. I did it with such speed that it almost flew out of my hand and hit my face.

"Who's there?" I asked. It was most certainly a player since my Searching skill confirmed it. I could also see the faint green Color Cursor of a player.

"I mean no harm, but I beg you for help." I heard a soft, but weak voice spoke.

From the moonlight I saw a cloaked figure in black poke their head from the tree they were hiding behind. It was a girl, about a year younger than me. She had a hood on that masked her hair. The moonlight illuminated her face, letting me see her eyes. They were the darkest, blackest eyes I've ever seen. Despite the fact that they are as dark as the night, they glistened in the moonlight like a puddle of water.

I moved my eyes to the rest of her body and examined her. Her equipment is all torn up, including her cloak and shirt. She wore boots that went up to her knees, but they were also badly torn up. A scabbard holding a dagger rested on her belt. Just by looking at the hilt and her current equipment, I could tell they were the worst of quality.

"I'm lost. Can you point me to the nearest town?" She asked me.

I pointed towards the Starting City and she turned her gaze towards that direction. She began limping her way to the far-away city and I just stood there completely dumbfounded.

Suddenly she fell to her knees and started coughing. I put away my sword and ran to her aide. I rested her head on my lap and observed her current avatar's status. Her health was in the yellow zone, close to half. She was poisoned and continuously lost health at a slow rate.

I scoured through my inventory to find an _Antidote Crystal_ but I had none. I searched for a _Healing Crystal_ but remembered that I had used my last one yesterday when I got caught off-guard by a monster. I cursed under my breath and looked back at the suffering girl

"Please, help me." She pleaded with a weak voice.

I pulled at her hood to reveal her full face. Her hair was jet black with purple streaks. Those dark eyes twinkled in the moonlight as tears formed in her eyes. I can't possibly just leave her here to die.

"Put your arms around my neck, and hold on tight" I told her. She did what I told her and I picked her up.

Based on her health bar and the rate of which her health is decreasing, I estimate that she only has thirty minutes until her HP drops to zero. The Starting City is still 1 hour away. I had to run. Faster than I have ever ran before. At the same time, I have to avoid all of the monsters that I encounter. I have to save this girl, even if I risk my life. I can't just let someone who needs me more than anything else die alone.

And so I ran. I ran faster than I've ever run before. The speed of which isn't even physically possible for a human being. I could feel the strain I'm putting on my body, but adrenaline pumped in me so fast that I couldn't feel any fatigue. I need to save this person, even if it's the last thing I do.

 **Almost half an hour later**

I see the Starting City. Her health was in the red zone, and so was mine. Despite the speed at which I'm running, some monsters like wolves are still quick on their feet. I'm forced to fight them if they happen to gnaw on my leg, which only makes matter worse.

As long as I get her into the Area, she can't die. She has approximately one-minute left, but the Starting City is still five minutes away. There's no way I can do this I thought in my head, I'm too tired to run that fast anymore or to fight.

"It's ok." The girl said, "You can leave me here. You've done everything you can to help me. I don't deserve that kind of help."

My eyes stung from her words. This must be the first time I've cared for someone this much in a long time. Hearing her say that she doesn't deserve any help is like hearing her say that she doesn't deserve to live.

"It was stupid of me to venture off into the wilderness alone with barely any equipment. Not just stupid, completely insane. Please leave me. I don't want anybody dying for me."

She then touched her hand to my face. Despite it being a game, the warmth of her hand felt so real. Then we made eye-contact. Tears started forming in her eyes, and the same for mine. She gave a warm smile, and then... I snapped.

"No..." The voice that came out of my mouth didn't sound anywhere like mine. It sounded more like a demon. "Both of us will live. I will not let someone whose life depend on me just die. As long as I stand, there is no way I will let that happen!"

I ran harder and faster, but it still wasn't as fast as when I started. Everything still moved past me in a blur. She has approximately twenty seconds left and the gate is right ahead. Players near the gate noticed me and panicked when they saw the speed at which I was approaching them

Ten seconds. Almost there! Five seconds. Her health bar is literally empty except for that one pixel of HP, glowing dark red. Three! Two! One!

I dove for the gate, carrying the girl with me and making sure she's protected. I entered the Area and watched as the girl's health stopped dropping. The one red dot continuously flashed red but her HP did not drop to zero. I sighed in relief but immediately noticed my next problem.

I was moving too fast. My momentum is carrying me a great distance. I landed on the ground and slid on the slippery marble surface, heading straight for a giant pillar. Although I won't die, it will surely leave me dizzy or unconscious. I turned around so the girl would be safe from the impact and braced myself. I didn't even hear anything because the moment I hit the pillar, everything went black.

Two minutes later

"Hey" I heard a voice call out for me. It sounded like a girl... "Hey…Hey!"

I woke up startled. The girl I had saved sat by my side, shaking my shoulder vigorously. She smiled as she saw me open my eyes and began crying. Her tears were that of joy and not sadness.

"What happened?" I asked her. All around us, a huge crowd had gathered.

"You've been knocked out for two minutes now. Got me a little bit worried." She answered back at me.

The crowd is now double of what it was a minute ago, with all eyes staring at me. And then I saw one face that I didn't expect to see, nor did I want to see. It was Kirito. His face was full of shock and anger, which only doubled when we made eye contact with each other.

I realized that I attracted too much attention. My HP was still red and I was still recovering from my head-on collision with this pillar. Regardless I stood up went to the opposite side of where Kirito was at, and once again ran.

Even though I was terribly tired, I ran with the same speed I've been running with and made dozens of turns. I turned into a different street about ten times before I settled down in an empty alleyway. I should've lost them, so I guess I can rest here for a bit.

I leaned against the wall and tried to catch my breath. I breathed in deeply three times before finally relaxing myself. Now that I'm here, I should head towards the weapon shop. After all, it is the main reason why I am returning to this place. I was about to exit the alley when I ran into the girl again.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asked me. Her Searching skill must be at a high level if she managed to find me even with all those turns I made. Even so, I still asked her: "How did you find me?"

"Your friend gave me help. From the looks of it, it appears that the two of you need to make up."

With a warm smile she shifted her position so that I can make direct eye contact with my brother Kirito. I should've expected that she didn't find me by herself. After all, she looks terribly weak and it doesn't seem like she would even bother leveling up her Searching skill.

"Hey little bro, long time no se-"

I got interrupted when Kirito moved in lightning speed and pushed me against the wall. He held me by the collar of my shirt and pinned me there.

"Why... Why are you here?" He asked me in a really angry voice.

"You should know me already Kirito. I am a gamer like you. How can I miss out on something as big as SAO?"

He looks really pissed off. I couldn't tell if he's pissed off at me being inside SAO, or he's just pissed off at me specifically.

"How in the world are you a higher level than me? I've been power leveling ever since we got trapped here."

"I've been following you for a while." I informed him, "I've seen all those good hunting spots and quests. I stopped a week ago when I noticed that there were no more spots for farming. I trained my Hiding significantly as I followed you through the entire floor. Even if I didn't, I think my One-Handed Sword is still higher than yours"

My brother pinned me against the wall even more, making me even more uncomfortable. Maybe I should really not try to piss everyone off so much, especially those who want to keep their pride.

"You think you're better than me you piece of sh-"

"Hey! You forgetting something here?" The girl interrupted. Honestly, I did almost forget about her. "I'm not entirely sure what's going on between you two brothers, but I don't really like it when I get ignored. Can I at least have your name?"

She addressed the question to me, and I looked at Kirito, asking him to put me down. He didn't seem too happy about it, but he obliged and set me down. My brother then began to walk away, leaving me with the girl.

"Don't follow me ever again Mortifer." Kirito grunted before disappearing from my sight.

"So..." the girl began speaking, "I guess we can start off with introductions. Ahem… My name is Violet. What is yours?"

"Mortifer, my name is Mortifer."

"Mortifer-san huh?" she wondered, "Well I should thank you for saving my life. I owe you a lot for that. And so here is all my money."

Before she withdrew her money I stopped her. I did not want to take money from others especially when it seems like they need it. However, I did get curious by her current equipment.

"That outfit, mainly that cloak. Where did you get it?"

She gave me another one of her smiles. There's just something in her smile that tilts me off. It wasn't necessarily bad. In fact, it gave off a positive vibe.

"I made it myself. Since I didn't really find an interest in combat, I've stayed here in the Starting City making clothes by hand. There's been many instances where people want to buy the apparel that I create. I also do custom orders. My level in Tailoring is two-hundred.

I almost laughed at her to spend her time leveling a skill that's almost useless. I was also amazed at how fast she leveled up the skill. I'm also wondering how much money she must've made off of making all those clothing. Maybe I can get her to make something for me

"Will you partner up with me for the time being then? Your skills interest me and travelling alone is always boring." I offered her.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer. After all, I sort of owe you for saving my life."

I nodded my hend and configured my menu. I sent her a party invite which she accepted with the press of the button. Her next action however, caught me completely off-guard. She stood right next to me and held my hand while curling her arm through mine.

"I think it's a little too early for that." I told her while scratching my head. I could feel myself blush.

"Yeah you're right. Sorry about that" she replied with a slight chuckle. "I didn't know what I was thinking. You just reminded me of someone."

 **The next morning, Starting City Market Plaza**

"Do you think this dagger would be a suitable weapon for me Mortifer-san?" Violet asked me as she swung a short dagger around.

"Just call me Mortifer." I told her, "As for your weapon, it all depends on your preferences. Just by looking at you, I think you are a speedy and lightweight swordswoman. Based on that, then it's either a dagger or a rapier. With a dagger you can move faster and attack faster since it is lighter. A rapier however will give you more range and damage. In my opinion-"

"Okay, okay I get it. I think I'll go with the rapier."

Once she bought I immediately showed her one of the basic rapier skills. I also bought her some leather armor for protection. Afterwards, I still had money left for a few potions, which I bought without hesitation. We need them after all.

"Does this leather armor make me look fat?" Violet asked me. I replied with a face palm. Even so, she still looked at me with a question mark on her face.

"You don't look fat. You're perfect." I told her, "Can we go to Horunka now? You need to catch up with my level so you can go to the places I'm going."

"Okay."

As she responded, I saw her cheeks turn into the faintest red I've seen. It must've been because I told her she was "perfect". I can't really blame her. Lots of girls have asked me out and I've turned down all of them since they're just not my type. This girl however… She's different from all of the others.

"Alright let's head to the next town. We can gather resources there so you can make me what I want."

 **Later that day, afternoon**

"Yes! This is perfect!" I exclaimed.

Violet had sewn me a black cloak similar to the one she wears, though it had many differences. First, the cloak was fitted to my size. It covered my backside all the way to my feet. Second, I told her to add a few tears into it to make it look a bit intimidating. And finally, the hood was combined with a mask that we bought from someone.

The mask we bought had the appearance of a skull. A rather human looking skull but it had a few razor sharp canines. It was supposedly made of the bones of a random monster that the guy we bought it from killed. Nonetheless, I loved it.

"Are you trying to look scary on purpose? In fact, what are you even trying to look like?" Violet asked me.

"I'm trying to look like a grim reaper. You know, the image of Death. The one with the scythe and-"

"I know what a grim reaper is Mortifer." She quickly put in before I could continue, "But, why do you want to look like a Shinigami?"

Good question. I also thought about why I choose a grim reaper as my idol. I still don't know why I like grim reapers.

"I don't really know if I have a dark personality or it's just me. I just find death to be fascinating as well as the darkness. After all, nobody cares about me and I don't really care for them in return."

At first I thought she would say I'm crazy. Most people's first impression of me is that I seem like I'm going to kill them or beat them up badly. The face she held is the same face that every other person had when they see me for the first time. Even so, she started giggling

"I guess I'm not the only one who has a dark side to them that is shrouded in a veil of light." She smiled.

"Yeah, well I'm not exactly sure if my soul even exists."


	4. Chapter 3: The 1st Floor Boss

**Two days later**

A meeting is being held in the city of Tolbana, the city closest to the 1st Floor labyrinth. The gate to the 2nd Floor. I heard rumors that a group finally found the boss room after a month or so of being stuck in the 1st floor. Those rumors are the reason why Violet and I are here to see what happens in the meeting.

Due to my actions in the Starting City when I saved Violet from death, I can't show myself without attracting attention. So Violet and I decided to hide from all the players. I hid on top of a tree while Violet leaned against a column next to the meeting area, which was a giant amphitheater.

The leader of the meeting is a blue-haired man called Diavel. If I were just a little bit closer, I can easily hear what he is trying to tell the players. I picked up a few things such as the boss's name, _Ilfang the Kobold Lord_. Apparently, the boss is also in the book of tips and guides that the _Rat_ created for the players of SAO.

While scanning the crowd and trying my best to pick up what Diavel was saying, I spotted a familiar boy in blue sitting next to a player wearing a red cloak. The boy was Kirito, but the player in red I've never seen before. I barely caught a glimpse of long, hazel-colored hair, making me assume that it is a girl.

Nonethless, they must be sitting next to each other because they will be partying up. Diavel ordered everyone in the meeting to form a team with other players. Each party would have different roles in this boss raid, depending on the average stats of the party members.

People with a good offense would be the attackers. Defensive people will be the tanks. All the rest, like Kirito and his lady friend, are probably going to be tasked with other stuff, such as dealing with the boss's minions, if it has any.

I had already told Violet that we will only be watching this fight, since we were both tired of fighting right now. We've been busy power leveling. I am level nineteen while Violet is level seventeen. Judging from the current level of many people around us, we may be the highest leveled players in SAO. Although we are high-leveled, we aren't technically strong since half of our XP was put into _Hiding_ and _Searching_.

Being a party of two also limits our strength and there is nobody else to party with. Kirito and his lady friend are in a party of two, but I don't think he'd be willing to let us join the fight. Even if the rest of the players accept us in their ranks, Violet and I will be stuck in a party of two unless we find more people to join us.

Anyways, tomorrow will be an important day. The day that the first boss raid of SAO will occur. As we planned, Violet and I are only going to watch the boss fight and not participate in it. Since normal players don't typically train their _Searching_ skill, hiding from them will be a piece of cake. Either way, the boss should keep them busy while we watch in the sidelines.

"Let's go Violet. We'll train for today then watch them tomorrow. Afterwards, we can go to the 2nd Floor."

The next day, 1st Floor Labyrinth

Players have gathered around the boss room door. They are all preparing for the boss fight. Violet and I are hiding behind rocks and listening to Diavel speak. Although I barely know him, I can tell from his personality that he is a true leader. He plans carefully, and when panic rises in the players, he knows exactly how to calm them down.

"They are about to enter the boss room" Violet informed while shaking my shoulders.

One by one they entered the boss room. All the tanks entered the room first, with the vanguards right behind them. Kirito and the rest of the minion clearers entered last, along with Diavel. The boss room door was left wide open for us to enter, and so we took that chance without hesitation. Both Violet and I entered our _Hiding_ mode by selecting the ability in our menu.

We sprinted towards the boss room and quietly sneaked around the players. The boss room is gigantic. Massive columns leading to what looks like a throne were perfectly parallel to each other. We both took a pillar of our own and watched the players. I scanned my surroundings then looked at the throne.

Sitting on the throne, barely visible due to lack of light, was the boss. The floor of the whole room began giving off a strong light, illuminating the whole place and giving it color. _Ilfang the Kobold Lord_ sat on his throne, expressing anger for the players who are here to attack him. He jumped down from his throne and pulled out an axe and buckler. At the same time, a dozen _Ruin Kobold Sentinels_ spawned next to him.

The boss let out a mighty roar that shook the very dungeon. This however did not faze Diavel at all, who raised his sword high in the sky. With a voice full of confidence and courage, he said the magic words:

"Attack!"

 **Ten minutes later**

I'm not exactly sure how long it's been, but it feels like forever. The boss, who previously had four HP bars, is now down to one. While the tanks and vanguards continued assaulting the boss, Kirito and everyone else took care of the sentinels. His partner, which is definitely a girl, is quite extraordinary. She wielded a rapier like Violet, but the speed of her attacks is almost inhumane. I could barely see the tip of her sword as she attacked.

Just then the boss' HP dropped to a severely low amount. During the beginning of the fight, I read the free guidebook created by info-brokers and beta-testers. _Ilfang_ will apparently switch to a talwar when he becomes critically low and change his attack pattern, forcing the players to adapt to the new one.

Sure enough he threw away his sword and drew out a new weapon. At first glance, I thought it was a talwar, but when I noticed the curve of the blade and the long handle, I immediately knew something was wrong. The blade it now wielded isn't a talwar at all, but a katana.

"Everyone, stand back! I'll go!" Diavel shouted to everyone as he ran up to face the boss.

I couldn't tell if I wanted to scream or laugh at how stupid this guy is. In fact, it seems Kirito was thinking the same thing as he turned towards Diavel and shouted from the top of his lungs.

"Wait, stop! It's no good! Run away Diavel!" Kirito desperately shouted to him, but it was too late. That very moment, I witnessed the first death I've seen. Both in-game and in real-life, technically…

The boss made a massive leap to the multiple columns on the side of the room. It did so with such speed that an ordinary person probably can't keep up. It finally landed with a boom, doing a vertical swing with its katana, cleanly cutting Diavel in half. His two body parts exploded into pixels and faded into nothingness.

Panic spread like wildfire across the players. They were hopeless without someone to lead them. The enraged boss then chased after the tanks that it was closest to, forcing them to fight it or die. Everyone else watched them, frozen in fear. I even spotted a few running back to the boss room door, hoping to escape.

It was at that moment however, Kirito and his partner stood up to face the boss. The two of them charged the boss, who acknowledged them after it dealt with the tanks close to him. It prepared a Sword Skill and proceeded to attack Kirito, who also used a Sword Skill to parry the attack.

" _Switch_!" Kirito yelled to his partner, who ran up to the boss and prepared a Sword Skill of her own. The boss however, quickly recovered from the parry and swung its giant katana at the girl, "Asuna!"

The girl, who's name is apparently Asuna, dodged the attack at the last second, but the blade destroyed the red cloak she was wearing. The long hazel hair she hid under the hood is now flowing elegantly. Judging from her face and height, she seems to be around Kirito's age. Maybe even a year older.

With the boss having missed its attack, it is now left wide open for Asuna to deal some damage. She let her Sword Skill loose, and jabbed the boss with enough strength to push it back a few meters. I heard players gasp in amazement as they saw how powerful she is.

"Not only is she powerful, she's kinda' cute too." Violet murmured from the column beside me.

"You're focused on that of all things?" I grumbled back at her.

"Here he comes again!" I heard Kirito shout as he stood back up to run towards Asuna.

The way they fought is the same way they fought the sentinels. Kirito would parry or block the attacks while Asuna would Switch in last second and counterattack. They repeated this process multiple times, slowly chipping away the last bit of the boss' health. That is until the boss performed a feint, tricking Kirito into parrying the wrong direction.

The boss activated a Sword Skill and landed a direct hit on Kirito, who got sent flying towards Asuna. The two of them fell to the ground and I spotted Kirito's health drop to approximately fifty percent. At the same time, the boss walked up to them and towered over the two players. It began activating another Sword Skill and prepared to deal the killing blow.

However, at the last moment, a large black man wielding a battleaxe parried the boss' attack, saving the Kirito and Asuna. At the same time, a group of tanks who were healthy and well-equipped joined the fray, and began fighting the boss with the black man.

"We'll hold him off! Focus on recovering your health for now!" the battleaxe guy told Kirito.

"Thanks you guys." Kirito gratefully thanked them.

While Kirito began drinking a potion, the group of tanks mercilessly beat down on the boss. They did not land any hits however, as the boss blocked all of them. Noticing it was surrounded, I saw its eyes momentarily flash red before doing a fast circular sweep, blowing away all of the tanks, even the big black fellow. Using its massive strength, the boss leaped into the air and prepared another Sword Skill. How many does it have?!

"Look out!" Kirito yelled as he threw away the potion and ran for his fallen comrades. He activated a Sword Skill and lept to the air, "I'm going to get you first!"

As he yelled out to the boss, Kirito sliced through his body, disabling it from performing its own attack and making it crash into the ground. Only a sliver of HP remains on the boss' last health bar. Noticing this, Kirito began running for the boss.

"Asuna!" Kirito called out to his partner, "One last attack! Let's do it together!"

"Roger!" Asuna shouted back to him as she ran alongside Kirito.

Running in full speed, the two of them didn't even bother blocking the attacks of the boss, as they knew that once they land even one hit on it, they can continuously attack it until it is dead. And they did exactly that.

Kirito dodged past its attack and sliced its arm, making the boss drop its weapon. Asuna then proceeded to stab the boss on the stomach using her rapier. Kirito then had the honors to deal the last attack. Starting from the boss' waist, Kirito made a diagnol slice all the way through the boss, with the blade coming out of _Ilfang's_ shoulders.

 _Ilfang the Kobold Lord_ and the remaining few sentinels all began fading in unison. Their bodies broke down into pixels before finally exploding into nothingness. The room began to darken until it became the state it was when we entered it. After a few moments of silence, one word appeared above Kirito, shining brightly so that everyone can read it. It read: "Congratulations!"

"We did it!" someone shouted out in excitement, causing a chain reaction.

Everyone in the room began to celebrate. All of their avatars started glowing yellow as they all gained enough experience to level up. Violet and I smiled at their accomplishment and I turned my eyes back to Kirito, who sat on the floor, completely fatigued. A screen appeared before him and I was barely close enough to read it. The screen said _Last Attack Bonus_. Kirito dismissed the notification before I could read the item, leaving me curious.

Asuna and the black man approached Kirito, seemingly congratulating him for his victory over the boss. Everyone also acknowledged Kirito and gave him an applause for defeating the boss. This however ended when a man with orange hair and a goatee began crying out.

"Why!? Why did you let Diavel-han die?!" the man cried out. The question confused many people including myself and Kirito.

"Let him die?" Kirito questioned him.

"Yes! You knew the techniques the boss used!" he snapped back in response, "Had you given us that information up front, he wouldn't have died!"

Murmurs spread amongst the group of players. They began to grow suspicious of Kirito's knowledge and how he didn't give them any information from the start. That's when one person next to the goatee man pointed at him with his sword.

"He must be a beta tester! That's how he knows the boss's attack patterns!" the guy informed everyone, "He knew it all along, but he didn't tell any of us! There's gotta' be other beta testers in this room right now! Come out and reveal yourselves!"

The group of players began examining the people they were with. I heard some asking if the person was a beta tester, but nothing happened. When I looked back at Kirito, he had a worried expression. The rift between beta testers and normal players is big enough already. If this boss battle completely cuts the connection, it could bring chaos to everyone, specifically the beta testers.

Asuna and the tall black man approached the group of players who blamed Diavel's death on Kirito. They looked like they want to argue back at them, but a maniacal laugh reached everyone's ears. That laugh is none other than Kirito's, who stood up and faced everyone.

"A beta tester? Please, don't compare me to those newbies." Kirito laughed out.

"W-What did you say?" goatee man questioned him.

"Most of the one-thousand beta testers were beginners." Kirito began explaining, "People who have never played an MMORPG before. People who don't know how to fight or level up efficiently. Hell, even you guys are better than them."

People in the crowd gave Kirito weird looks, slightly doubting his words while others were just surprised by them. Looking at my brother's face right now, I could tell that he's doing this for a good reason, and not to just piss everyone off.

"On the other hand, I'm on a whole different level from those guys. During the beta test, I made to levels that nobody else could reach. The reason why I knew about the boss's Sword Skills is because I fought with katana-wielding monsters in the higher floors. I know lots of other things too. More than any information broker here. Even the Rat."

"M-More than the _Rat_? That's way worse than a beta tester!" goatee man insulted him, "That's just cheating! You're a dirty cheater! That's what you are!"

The whole crowd began joining in, throwing insult after insult to Kirito. The only ones who didn't were Asuna and the black man, who stood there with worried faces.

"A cheater and a beta tester… That makes you a _Beater_ then!" someone from the crowd yelled out.

"A _Beater_ huh? Yes, that's a good name…" Kirito said with an evil grin, making everyone gasp in shock, "That's right. I'm a _Beater_. From now on, don't confuse me with the other beta testers."

Kirito opened his menu and equipped a black coat, as dark as the night. He gave everyone a natsy smirk, gaining even more hatred for them. Kirito then continued to walk up a newly formed staircase, with the top of it leading to a doorway, which I am assuming is the door to the 2nd floor.

I saw this chance and headed over to Violet to tell her of my plan, but then I noticed Asuna ran to catch up with Kirito. The two of them talked but they were way too far away for me to hear them. After a little bit, Asuna finally backed away from him and went back to the crowd, looking satisfied. Now's our chance.

"Violet let's go. We're getting to that doorway." I told her, grabbing her arm tightly.

"If we go now, everyone will see us. If they notice that we didn't participate in the raid, it will only cause chaos." She whispered back in response. Her voice and expression showed worry, but I didn't care.

"If you're worried about that, then all we have to do is do it fast." I told her as I forcefully picked her up, surprising her a little bit, "Suck in your gut."

She did what she was told and I broke off into sprint. My speed matched that of when I saved Violet. Everything moved past us in a blur. I brushed past Asuna on my way up, making her jump back in fright.

When I reached the top of the staircase, I stopped for Violet so she can get off. The crowd turned their attention towards us, and I simply gave them a wave with my hand. As I turned back to the 2nd floor entrance, Kirito stood in front of me with an angered expression.

"Sup Kirito? That was pretty brave of you to do that _Beater_ thing. Though it seems that now everyone is going to-"

Without even a warning, Kirito kicked me hard in the chest, sending my falling back down to the bottom of the staircase. Asuna once again jumped in fright since I landed right next to her. Violet was horrified and Kirito continued walking to the 2nd floor.

"Hey, who are those two? Were they part of the raid group?" someone in the crowd shouted.

"No, I've never seen those two before in my life." Goatee man announced to everyone, "Diavel-han gave me the responsibility to find out who is participating in the raid. That guy and his girl partner were not in the list of raiders."

Tension began to rise amongst the crowd once again. Everyone else also began to notice that we didn't participate in the raid at all. I even heard people talk about how they've seen me before at the Starting City. How I was the guy who broke the game with my speed.

Before things could get worse, I got up and ran up the stairs once again. I stopped right next to Violet and paused to catch my breath. This type of running really takes a toll on me. I should keep that in mind. I wonder how I ran that fast for so long?

"Let's get out of here Violet, before we attract anymore attention."


	5. Chapter 4: King of Wolves

**Two weeks later, 3rd floor**

After the clearers finally cleared the 1st Floor of Aincrad, their spirits were rekindled. This time, it only took a week and few days to clear the 2nd Floor whilst the 1st floor took a whole month to clear along with thousands of deaths. Even now they are still going strong about it and proceeding to take on this floor's _Field Boss_ , the thing that guards the Labyrinth. Violet and I have farmed non-stop for all that time, hoping to get stronger. Though it seems that Violet is growing weary of it.

"Can we take a break from all this farming Mortifer? Can we focus on other skills? I haven't leveled my Tailoring ever since I made you that cloak." She complained.

"Well, what do you want to do? We don't have a home to live in nor have I found a skill that I find fun like your Tailoring." I asked her.

"Well, I wasn't just thinking about raising our other skills. We're currently in Aincrad right now so why don't we take the day off and explore the place?"

"That sounds nice enough. Okay, starting from now till the end of tomorrow, we will take a break and explore this place." I told her with a smile, "Let's go!"

 **Later that evening**

We've been walking around this floor for a while now. A few mobs here and there forced us to fight but we dispatched them with ease. Being a forest-themed floor, the whole place is basically a forest, except for our current location. We managed to find a large plain, surrounded by the forest. Judjing from the large pillar in the middle that reached up to the sky, this place must also be the entrance to the Labyrinth.

Despite the dangers this place could hold, we continued our evening stroll. We're currently heading back to the main village as we are fairly tired from walking around so much. Everything was going well until I heard noises in the distance.

"You hear that Violet?" I asked her. She stopped to listen for any noises and gave me a simple nod in return.

"Sounds like wolves." Violet added in.

Sure enough we heard a wolf's howl in the distance, followed by other wolves howling the same pitch. We headed over to the howling to investigate. What we saw caught us by surprise

A pack of fifteen wolves surrounded a player in black. He wielded a large claymore that looked to big too handle, but he still held it as if it weighed nothing. The player's health however was in the yellow zone, and there were far too many wolves to handle. Based on the wolves I've fought in-game and learned about in real life, a wolf's howl attracts other wolves in the vicinity. The bigger the pack, the stronger it is.

"Should we help him?" I asked Violet.

"I was about to ask you the same thing" she replied.

I gave her a smile back and drew out my sword, which gleamed in the night. It's called an _Anneal Blade_. I found out about it while following Kirito in his quest to become stronger. Violet also drew out her rapier, which is called the _Chivalric Rapier_. We managed to obtain it when Violet asked Asuna how to obtain one. At that time, she was alone so it was safe to approach her.

We raised our swords and charged towards the pack of wolves. By the time we got to the player, his health is just above the red zone. We also surprised him with our sudden entrance, making him jump back in fright.

"We'll take it from here" said Violet.

"I can still fight with you guys." The man bellowed. His voice was deep and intimidating.

One by one, the wolves died and the pack decreased in numbers. Noticing this, a few wolves stepped back and howled loudly. With that, more wolves appeared out of nowhere, replacing all those who had died. In fact, the pack is almost double of what it was a minute ago. This is surely not going to end well.

"Violet, give that guy a _Teleport Crystal_. The two of you neede to get out of here." I yelled to her.

"Wait, what about you? We only have two since we were saving up Cor in order to upgrade my rapier." She responded back, her voice filled with worry.

"Don't worry about me. Once you teleport out, I'll just run away. I can outrun them."

"There is no such thing as outrunning a wolf. Especially one that is blood thirsty like these guys." The hooded man spoke up. Great, now Violet definitely won't leave me behind since she cares about me.

"If that's true, then I'm not going anywhere." She shouted back.

Fighting her won't help us. We can all fight, but if we keep this up, we will all die. We can only hope for a miracle. And a miracle I got, though it wasn't really a miracly that I wanted to happen. All the wolves in front of me died, revealing two people standing there with weapons that were the same as ours. It was none other than Kirito and Asuna.

"We need to stop meeting like this Kirito." I told him, "Now help us out because this guy over here needs it. I'll give you some of our loot in this battle if you want. If we get loot that is."

"I don't care about loot. I'm only helping out since she and that other guy seems to need it." Kirito grumbled.

With an unhappy face, Kirito and Asuna joined in on the fight. Asuna supplied all of us with a single potion. We all took turns healing and fighting. This continued on for a couple minutes, and the number of wolves are starting to die down. In about a minute there will be no more. I was starting to think that we were winning, until a heard an ear-shattering howl.

All of the wolves stopped in their tracks and began running away. If a pack of wolves run away from a fight because of that loud howl, you know that something bad is going to happen. That's when it appeared. The thing that I did not want to encounter while roaming this plain next to the Labyrinth. The _Field Boss_.

It stood three meters off the ground and completely towered over us. Its fangs were razor sharp and looked like it could pierce through steel. Its fur had a strong crimson color to it, that it looked like it was just dyed in blood. The name Masjid the King of Wolves appeared above its head along with three HP bars.

"Mortifer, you and that other guy will handle defending against his attacks. Asuna, that girl and I will switch in when we see a chance to attack it." Kirito commanded.

"Oh yeah, you weren't there when I told him my name. Well I'm Violet. Nice to meet you Kirito."

"This isn't really a time for introductions Violet. It's about to attack!" I shouted at her.

The giant wolf swiped at us with his paw. The claws that were once hidden are now showing its true colors. They aren't as sharp as the teeth, but that doesn't mean we can just take a hit from it without taking some serious damage. Using a Sword Skill, I attempted to parry the attack but all I managed to do was force a standstill between me and the wolf.

Kirito, Asuna and Violet took this opportunity to attack the boss and dealt some damage to it. It's health bar only dropped by a little bit, making me assume that it has a strong defense, possibly from that thick coat of fur. Having defense usually mean it has a low offense, but those teeth don't lie. I can tell I'm not going to enjoy this fight.

 **Ten minutes later.**

 _Masjid_ is down to his last HP bar. A _Field Boss_ is typically weak, but _Masjid the King of Wolves_ must be special. This boss seems to be harder than the 2nd _Floor Boss_. I guess that's what to expect from bosses of higher floors.

Without warning, _Masjid_ began howling. The sound almost shattered my eardrums. I thought that the howl is a call to the other wolves, so I turned around to observe their movements. None of the wolves made any movement and when I turned back to _Masjid_ , it was too late.

The wolf spun with such force that the I could've been knocked down by the air alone. The wolf's tail then met my eyes and I raised my sword to guard. Even while blocking, the tail still managed to send me sprawling to the ground. The attack also hit everyone else with the same results. The last man standing is the strange guy with a broadsword. Even though he's already severely injured from tanking attacks and his fight with the other wolves, he stood his ground.

Instead of attacking with its paw or tail, _Masjid_ pounced on the guy and began mauling him. The poor guy's health dropped so low I was almost certain he would die. The wolf opened its mouth to reveal its teeth and attempted to bite the guy's head off. At that moment, I witnessed the impossible happen.

Showing his resolve, he fearlessly grabbed the jaws of the giant wolf and held it in place. I watched in astonishment as the guy began spreading the wolf's jaws further and further apart. He let out a battle cry and pushed the jaws with all his remaining strength. Snap.

 _Masjid's_ body went limp and fell on top of the guy, burying him in fur. I saw the last of the boss's health disappear instantly and its body broke down into pixels. The wolves around us howled and began running away from us. A screen of light appeared in front of me, showing me the loot and experience I gained from this fight. We had won.

Although it was definitely a victory worthy to be celebrated, we only sat on the ground, too tired to move. The strange wolf guy collapsed entirely and I couldn't blame him. It must've taken all his strength to keep those jaws from gnawing on him.

Without even saying anything, the wolf guy suddenly stood up and began walking away, making all of us curious. Violet stood up and stood in front of him, stopping the guy in his tracks. They did not speak to each other but Violet kept trying to look at his face. The guy would keep turning around so she couldn't see until Violet lost her patience and pulled down his hood.

His face was completely scarred. A huge scar ran down from his brow to his cheek, crossing over the eye. Injuries in-game get healed up once your HP gauge is back to full. If a body part has been severed, it will come back after a short while instead of instantly. But if he has a scar that hasn't healed, then it must be something he gained from the real world.

Both Violet and Asuna had their hands over their mouth and backed away slowly from the wolf guy. You can see this guy's history by looking at his face, and I mean it quite literally.

"Those scars, where did you get them?" I asked him. He did not seem to want to answer, but he did anyway.

"I'm not from Japan, as you can tell from my looks. I'm American, coming from Alaska. One night while I was playing with my brother, we got attacked by a wolf. I told him to run and get help as I fought the wolf by myself. By the time our parents arrived, it had already given me these scars. I was only eight years old at that time."

The man then continued walking away, but Violet tried to stop him. I held her back and shook my head. If he doesn't want to talk anymore than we should just let him go. But at that moment, I almost forgot about the most crucial part of this fight.

"Hey, wait." he stopped and faced me, "Can you at least tell us the _Last Attack Bonus_?"

Rizer nodded and opened his inventory. After scrolling down his list of items, he came upon a weapon, a two-handed sword. He equipped the item and it appeared on the palm of his hand. It was a yellow-white

" _Masjid's Fang_ " he said while admiring the sword. Then his eyes widened enough that everyone could notice. "It's... It's a... It's an ancient class weapon!" He exclaimed. Everyone's mouth dropped open. An Ancient weapon? In the 3rd floor?

"Then you are probably the luckiest player right now to have a sword that good." Kirito spoke, "The two of us will be going now."

Asuna nodded and they both started leaving. That's when I heard something nearby. I drew my sword and faced towards the origin of the sound.

"What are you doing Mortifer? Imagining things?" Kirito grunted out.

"My Straining and Tracking skill is much higher than yours Kirito so you can shut up. It seems that a certain rat has been spying on us."

I ran towards the bushes and reached my hand inside. As I thought I felt the hair of a player and tugged hard on it. It was a girl with weird markings on her cheeks. I've seen this person before. It is Argo, Aincrad's most well-known info dealer. She's known by the name _Rat_.

"I'm assuming you followed Kirito here?" I asked her. She nodded and looked really surprised.

"You're one of the first people to find me while I'm hiding." Argo praised me, "I've seen you before. You're that guy who made a scene at the Starting City a while ago. I also gave you information about those specific quests. Who are you exactly?"

"I'm Kirito's-"

"Acquaintance, he's an acquaintance of mine." Kirito interrupted. He obviously didn't want anybody to know I'm his brother.

"Now here is what's going to happen." I started, "You're not going to tell anybody about this or else I will find you again, and you will not like the consequences."

She nodded her head really fast, and looked really nervous. I let her go and she ran away. So did Kirito and Asuna, probably going over to support her.

"Well I think I'll also be on my way." said Wolf-Guy. Then I remembered something else I wanted to say.

"Hey do you want to join our party? We could use someone like you." I asked him. He stopped walking and faced me. A smile grew in his face, obviously happy that I asked.

"Of course. I owe you my life anyway." He replied back

"You're not the only one." Violet added in, who grabbed my arm and held it tightly.

"You're doing it again Violet. I told you it's too early for that." I told her. Realizing this she let go quickly and her face quickly turned red.

"What's your name?" I asked him

"My name is Rizer. My main focus is in Two-Handed Swords and Smithing."

"A smith? So you're a merchant too?"

"I make my own stuff. But those who know about me pay me to make stuff for them." He responded.

"Well we are glad to meet you. I'm Violet. Welcome to our party!" Violet greeted with a smile.


	6. Chapter 5: The Island

**2 months later February 2023, 24th Floor**

For the past two months, we've been longing for a place to stay other than an inn. Because of that, we decided to start saving up money to buy something to our liking. All of us constantly went on quests and farmed up even the weakest mobs for Cor. Rizer and Violet made extra money from making clothes and equipment for other people.

Together, we saved a little bit over one million Cor. We looked for properties and homes we could buy. A few caught our eye, but it would either be too small, too expensive, or it has no shower for Violet. Eventually we found something to our liking.

A large island, fairly far from the main city of this floor, Panareze. A small house was already built on it, having a shower, kitchen, and bedroom. The special thing about this island, is that it is customizable. We can add onto the house that is already built and build even more stuff. The price was one million Cor, which is just below the amount we saved up.

The three of us agreed to purchase the Island and we did so with no hesitation. We worked out a schedule on when to do things such as farming, house work, and free-time. Four days will be spent farming, two on the house renovations, and one for just resting. With that, we started creating our new home.

Due to the lack of funds we had at the time, we only managed to create a forge for Rizer, next to the house we had. Unfortunately, the house only had two rooms, but Rizer volunteered to sleep at his forge as it didn't bother him. In fact, he created himself an attic room in the forge for him to rest in. Sooner or later, we will build a proper place for Rizer to sleep in.

That all happened a week or so ago. Today is break day so we decided to do anything we want. Violet worked on her Tailoring and Cooking. Rizer is currently in the forge improving his Smithing skills in Light Armor Forging. Meanwhile, I am outside on the bridge that connects this Island to the rest of Aincrad, trying to improve my Fishing skill. Being an Island surrounded by water, I decided that I should at least try to see if I can catch a few fish for eating.

In the meantime, Violet was finishing up Rizer's cloak and a new one for herself. We planned to have similar looking cloaks for each of us in order to tell who is who. The only way to tell one from another is by the design of their hood.

Rizer's hood design is having his head encased by a wolf's head. We managed to get one from a _Dire Wolf_ we killed, which is a rare treasure to find. Violet's design was a mask covering almost all of her face except the eyes. She painted the part under the eyes dark red to symbolize blood and painted her cheeks with a faint purple.

My hood design is still the same as my old one: a skull mask with black see-through cloths for the eye sockets. Rizer questioned me on why I would handicap myself by reducing my field of vision and visibility of everything. I simply told him that my eyes are good enough that even if I wear this mask, I can still fight properly.

 **Later that evening**

"Supper is ready you guys!" Violet yelled from outside our house. Although we had a kitchen, we also created a bonfire area if we ever wanted to have a barbecue, like today.

Rizer and I were in the middle of a Chess game. Rizer created the pieces earlier this week while I created the game board. Whenever we get bored of working in the forge or fish for food, we would play chess which somehow entertains the two of us a lot.

We decided to call it a draw for now and went outside. The smell of the cooked fish was intoxicating. Violet must've put something in the fish to make it smell good and taste good. Each of us took a seat on the rocks we scattered around the fire. Without any hesitation, we dug right into our food.

"Hey I was thinking about something during our Chess game." Rizer started speaking, "Once we get more members, like ten or so, I feel like we should have codenames for each of us so we can communicate with each other quicker. Though it does sounds pointless especially if someone already has a short name"

"Sure why not." I said with a smile, "Seems like fun. We can make a guild of our own if we ever get ten or so members."

"You make up the names Mortifer. You're the leader after all." Violet encouraged me with a smile.

"I'm fine with that. In fact, I already have names for you two. Rizer, do you mind if your nickname is _White Fang_?"

"Oh, the story about that wolf? I like that name. Sure I'll take it." Rizer exclaimed while taking a sip of water.

"And what is my nickname?" Violet asked me.

"I decided upon _Lavender_." I told her, "Since you like the color violet so much, then it would only make sense to name you that."

" _Lavender_ huh… I'll take that name." Violet beamed.

"Then what about you Mortifer? What is your nickname?" Rizer asked me.

With that, all of us went silent. I started thinking hard in my head. A good nickname for me? _The Reaper_ sounds a bit too edgy unless I wanted to be some villain, though if there wasn't a death penalty in SAO, I probably would've been one. The only other time I will choose _The Reaper_ is if I add something else to it so it has more character or impact. Other than that, I don't like the name.

"I think we can wait for my nickname to pop-up sooner or later." I told them.

At that moment Violet's eyes became wide and darted to the side. Her alarmed expression tells me that she sensed something. I closed my eyes and focused on sensing my surroundings. Behind me, I heard the ruslting of leaves and the sound of them being stepped on.

I slowly drew out my sword and held it ready. Violet also silently drew out her rapier. Rizer left his weapon in his forge, but he had a hidden dagger in his shirt pocket, which he took out. Then we heard a splash as if someone or something jumped into the water. Whatever it is, it must have sensed that we are about to attack.

We sprang from our chairs and chased for the figure swimming in the water. Rizer dove into the water while Violet and I used the land bridge to catch up. The mysterious person is a fast swimmer, but Rizer is even faster. We already caught up with the person and waited for Rizer to subdue them. Once Rizer caught up, he grabbed onto the person's leg and pulled them towards him. Then, the unexpected happened.

The eavesdropping spy turned around to face Rizer, with a dagger in hand. They swung their weapon at Rizer who used his own arm as a shield to protect his main body. Although he protected his main body from being hurt, the attack costed him his arm, which gave him the _Limb Loss Debuff_.

This person is either a criminal player who didn't care about hurting others, or is just really desperate to not get caught by us. Rizer got furious but kept a safer distance. I decided to throw one of my poisoned-tipped blades at whoever it was. Right now, I didn't care about my Color Cursor turning orange since I can just do the _Karma Recovery Quest_ to reverse it.

I threw the blade and the player went limp with paralysis. Rizer lifted the person and rested them on his shoulder. We ran back towards the island and waited for Rizer, who had the person on tow. He dropped the person and drank a potion Violet gave him. Violet then took the honors of unmasking the player. As she pulled the hood off, I really wished that I had just killed her. It was Argo the info-broker.

"I thought I told you to stay away from us." I shouted as I throttled her. "Even so, if you wanted to ask us about something, then ask. You don't need to sneak up on us. You already know from our last encounter that my skills are superior than yours."

"Sorry Mortifer-san but the temptation was too much." She replied back, frightened of what I was going to do, "Rumours have spread about a group of three players who have taken almost all the farming spots. I remembered this Island had a cost of one million Cor, and now you guys bought it. I definitely couldn't keep that Last Attack Bonus a secret from other players. And people still talk about the guy who ran in mach speed and knocked himself out by slamming into a wall."

"Oh, you need to tell me that one." Rizer exclaimed with a huge grin on his face, "Also, that _Last Attack Bonus_ is irrelevant now. _Masjid's Fang_ become useless once the 9th Floor was reached. We're on the 25th now."

"Other than that, I was hired by someone to spy on you, and it isn't Kirito or Asuna." Argo informed us, "Well I wouldn't really say spy. He tasked me to send you guys a message. He wanted to know how you guys are so powerful yet you're not in the Clearing Group."

"Why didn't he just ask us himself? And who is this person who hired you" I questioned her.

"As part of our deal, I can't tell you his name. All I can say is that he is the leader of _The Army_. He doesn't know where you guys are located, which is why he hired me instead." She replied back to me.

"And how come you know where we are located?" Rizer interoggated her.

"Well, I didn't exactly know where you guys were. I just happened to come across this Island again and notice that someone purchased it. I guess I was just lucky."

"If you are telling the truth, then can you promise me not to reveal our location to anybody?" I asked her.

"Maybe… What's in it for me?" Argo responded, crossing her arms.

"If you want money then I can pay you one thousand Cor." I bargained with her.

"Ten thousand." Argo countered.

"Or maybe I can just kill you right here, right now so I won't have to put up with you later on?" I intimidated her, putting my sword against her throat.

"Okay deal! One thousand Cor in exchange for silence." Argo quickly responded.

I opened my inventory and withdrew one thousand Cor from my character. A small bag of Cor appeared in my hands and I handed it over to Argo. She carefully counted the contents in the bag and nodded. She stashed the bag into her pocket and sighed.

"Can I go now?" she asked me.

"Before I do, go and tell your client that I'll go and visit him. Where is his base of operations?"

" _The Army_ is based in the 1st Floor, at  Black Iron Palace." Argo informed me.

"Black Iron Palace? You can purchase that place as property? Well whatever. Now go and tell that client of yours that I'm coming day after tomorrow."

I grabbed Argo by her hood and forced her to stand up. I then pushed her away from me and towards the bridge. She wasted no time and ran away as fast as she could. Maybe I scared her a little bit too much. Well it's too late to apologize now.

"You're planning to go alone?" asked Violet, "You don't want us to come?"

"Even if Black Iron Palace is inside the Starting City, I can't simply trust people who I've never seen before." I told Violet, "If something bad happens, then only I will be affected. I'll only be carrying very few items anyway so if I lose them because they rob me, then it's not that big of a deal."

"Well whatever. It was your decision." Rizer yawned, "It's getting late now. I'm gonna go and hit the sack. Later."

Rizer drowsily walked off towards his forge. I looked at Violet who held a worried expression. She looked back at me and I gave her a reassuring smile. No matter what happens, protecting my friends, especially Violet, will be my number one priority.

/

/

/

 _Some chapters will be short such as this one. Others will be extremely long. There will be times where I don't update this very often since I will be doing schoolwork, but I hope I can post the entire story before the end of this year (2016)._


	7. Chapter 6: Kibaou and The Army

**Two days later, February 2023**

I just got done packing some stuff I'm going to bring over to the 1st Floor. We've decided that we can spare a _Teleport Crystal_ for me to use instead of having me walk all the way to the _Teleport Gate_ in  Panareze. Sometimes, I wonder why we decided to live in an island that is literally a three hour walk away from the main city.

I exited my room and went downstairs to meet up with Rizer, who held my newly fixed blade in his hands. I took the sword from him and walked outside. I spotted Violet walking aimlessly while looking at the sky. She looked towards my direction and gave me a warm smile. Though it soon faded and began to show sadness.

I could slightly understand what she is feeling right now. Although I will only be taking a quick trip to the 1st Floor, meeting with strangers isn't necessarily a great idea, especially when I'll be inside their territory. They could very well prevent me from escaping by shutting down the doors. And from what I recall, the doors to Black Iron Palace is made of metal.

"Don't worry so much Violet. I promise to return home as quickly as possible." I encouraged her while patting her lightly on the head.

"You promise?" she asked me with puppy-like eyes.

"I promise."

 **Town of Beginnings**

I haven't been here in the Starting City ever since the 1st Floor was cleared. I had no reason to since the floors above it gives me even more resources than I can ever get in this giant city. Yet here I am again, back to where it all started, just so I can find out what _The Army_ wants with me.

I looked around the plaza and saw a couple of players and NPCs wandering the streets. Far down one street, northwards from the Teleport Gate, I could see the massive Black Iron Palace. According to the information Argo gave me, that place is the headquarters of _The Army_. I never thought you could actually buy that place. I wonder how much money they spent just to get that building to use as their base of operations.

I sighed to myself, thinking about how much of that money could have gone to supplying their soldiers. Nonethless, I began walking towards the building. The closer I got to the place, the more players I began to see. Some were ordinary players who stayed in the Starting City for safety. Others were members of _The Army_.

When I finally reached the doorstep of the building, I pushed open its massive doors, finding it to be surprisingly light. I stepped inside to find myself inside some sort of lobby like ones you find in a hotel. Players walked around in groups of two or more, conversing with each other. They all turned to me and stared at me dumbfounded.

"Hey, hey. This is _The Army's_ headquarters." One of the players informed me, "I've never seen you before so you better get on out of here."

"At ease Ace. He's a guest of mine." A voice spoke from above.

I looked up to see a man standing on the 2nd floor. He was dressed in the Army uniform but his was embroidered with symbols. He had red spiky hair and which was dark like Klein. I feel like I've seen this guy before, but I can't exactly remember when and where.

"Welcome to Black Iron Palace. You will be safe here and be treated respectfully among us. You have my word on that." While he said that he glared at the soldiers who then went back to whatever they were doing, "I am assuming that you do not want to be known publicly, and so, we shall call you _Red Skull_ for now. My name is Kibaou. I am leader of _The Army_. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine… I-I think…" I stuttered, not really knowing what to say.

Kibaou began walking down the staircase and approached me. He noticed all the eyes that were staring at us and so he glared at his guild members, making them run away and go back to their duties.

"Please, follow me to my office."

 **A minute later**

We were in a small office, with basalt walls. A black rug covered most of the lustrous mahogany floor. A large office table dominated the center of the room. A lamp, a few bundles of paper, a dagger, and a neatly folded cape rested quietly on top of the desk. Two identical sofa chairs were placed both in front and behind the desk. One meant for Kibaou, and the other for guests.

Kibaou motioned me to take a seat, and so I did. He walked over to his desk and turned off the lamp, which was already on when we came in the room. He then pulled back a part of the wall behind his desk, which turned out to be a large curtain covering an even bigger window. The sunlight blinded my eyes shortly before I could finally see clearly.

"We've been hearing rumors lately of a certain group of people. Rumors about a group of players that have reached high levels in such early stages of the game." He said while looking out the window.

"There are many players out there who have reached high levels. Like the _Beater_." I told him.

"While that is true, the rumor talks about a player who had obtained an ancient-class weapon on the 3rd Floor. Another player who apparently ran in mach speed, in order to try and save a girl who had been poisoned. And finally, a party of three players who are utilizing every and all farming locations, both good and bad, in order to level up and gain Cor. Are you and your friends that group of players?"

I gave him a simple nod. He doesn't know our location, which would bode well for us if we were ever stuck in a sticky situation with them or any group for that matter. The safety of myself and friends is my number one priority.

"I thought so… You and your friends would make splendid soldiers in our guild and we-"

I raised my hand up to stop him because I already knew what he wanted, and I wanted none of it. I stood up from my chair and faced him.

"Look, if you need my help in the Front Lines, then just say so. However, I will only help you this once, as I have no interest in joining your guild. That goes the same for my friends. Now, when and where is the meeting going to occur?"

"Two days from now, at the 25th Floor's main settlement of Torus. The meeting will convene at noon." Kibaou stammered out.

With that, I walked out of the room leaving Kibaou speechless. Probably because I rejected joining the current most powerful guild in the game. When I opened the door, I was greeted by a group of _Army_ members, who seemed to be eavesdropping in on our conversation. I gave them a bitter look, mad at them for trying to listen in on us. They quickly backed away in fright.

"I'm going to go explore around your place a bit." I shouted to Kibaou without turning around, "If I see someone following me, then the deal is off. No exceptions. I'll see you in two days I guess."

 **Evening, 24th Floor**

The sun is setting in the horizon, turning the sky into a bright scarlet color. The Island is in my sights, but I still have to go through this forest that we've been cutting down in order to get wood for our house. It used to be a really dense forest, but we've cut down many of the bigger trees, leaving only the thinner ones standing.

Either way, it is still somewhat of a maze to find the exit to this forest since there are so many trees. If you stand in the center, the only way to tell which was is north, south, east or west is to look at the sun and shadows of the trees. You can't see the ocean at all despite it being a small island in the middle of an entire ocean.

When I finally did get out of the forest, I ended up where I wanted to be. Right next to the bridge that connects our Island to the rest of the word. I started crossing the bridge, admiring the the greenery on the Island from afar. It didn't take long before I was able to spot both Violet and Rizer standing at the other end of the bridge, patiently waiting for me.

Since I thought it would be fun, I broke off into a game-breaking sprint, reaching Rizer and Violet in a mere second. When I stopped, the fatigue hit me hard, making my body feel a bit numb. I tried my best not to fall from fatigue and stood straight up with a smile on my face.

"So what happened over there at the 1st Floor?" Violet asked me anxiously.

"Nothing bad." I told her with the fake smile, "Kibaou, the leader of _The Army,_ wants us to participate in the 25th Floor's boss raid."

"A boss raid? Did you agree?" Rizer asked me.

"In a way I did. I told him I will help just this one time. I am not that interested in joining the Front Lines since it is a bit too dangerous. He also offered us a place in his guild, but I also declined that. I am assuming that none of us wants to join a guild."

"You did say that we can make a guild of our own if we get enough members. I would rather do that than join a guild who's led by someone you don't know." Violet openly admitted.

"So when is this boss raid going to occur?" Rizer asked me.

"In two days, the boss raid meeting will convene. The boss raid itself will probably be later that day or the next day." I informed them, "So for now, we can just relax and live our normal lives in the game. The day after tomorrow however, we're going to prepare for our first Floor Boss raid."

 **Two days later, 25th Floor Torus**

A boss raid meeting is serious business. It could get real messy if people were to argue with how to deal with the boss or if one person is just fooling around. Worst of all, they didn't even send a recon team to inspect what this boss is capable of doing. Even so, they still have a strategy which most of the players favor: Let the tanks bait out its attacks and adapt to them.

Although the strategy puts Rizer and the rest of our tanks at risk, it is the only strategy we can come up with right now. The boss raid will be later this evening since Kibaou is getting impatient. If he had more patience, we could've sent a scout team to determine the boss's attack pattern.

Nonethless, Kibaou has named our group to be the main offensive group due to our stats being higher than most other players. However, we are forced to invite three other players to the party since a party usually contains six members total. It irritated me a bit since I have to invite three random strangers to my party, but I guess I just have to deal with it.

Rizer found a man named Agil to invite to our party. He was a very tall black man with a bald head and a small beard. In fact, this guy is the same man who had saved Asuna and Kirito during the 1st Floor Boss raid. Violet spotted Asuna amongst the crowd and asked her to join the party. Asuna accepted delightfully and the two started bonding.

Meanwhile, I continued looking for one more person, preferably one who is at the same level as me or somewhere close. It would be a miracle to find a solo player with those kind of stats. Though it seems my luck never seems to run out. At the same time, it can be bad luck since things never really work out between us.

Over in the corner of the meeting room, I spotted a lone swordsman wearing a black coat. He blended in with the darkness, making himself invisible to most players, but my Searching skill is high enough to see him clearly. It was my brother Kirito, who has yet to notice me.

Getting him in the party will definitely make our party one of the strongest, if not the strongest. But the problem is if I can get Kirito to even join. He would run away the moment he sees me. I need to find a way to get him in the party somehow.

I looked over to Violet and Rizer, who were talking to Agil and Asuna. Slowly but surely, an insidious plan formed in my mind. I quickly headed over to them and tapped Violet on the shoulder. I then pointed to Kirito all alone in the corner and she nodded, understanding what I wanted her to do.

"Asuna, Agil can you help us out on something?" Violet asked while pointing to Kirito.

"Kirito? What about him?" Agil asked her.

"We're going to get him in our party, but he doesn't exactly have a good relationship with Mortifer. Can you try to fool him by faking and invitation?"

"I guess we can try that. I'll be surprised if it works. He is really perceptive." Asuna pointed out. The two of them headed over to Kirito, who looked at them questioningly.

"Yo Kirito you want to join our party or are you gonna stay solo?" Agil asked him. Kirito gave him a smile and straightened himself.

"Well it's not like they'll allow me to do things solo. Sure, send me an invitation." he responded.

Agil began opening his menu and I did the same. We both searched for Kirito's name in the list and selected it. We then both sent the invitation at the same time, but only mine went through as Agil is not the leader of the party. Luckily, Kirito was too trusting and didn't even read the name that was imprinted on the invitation.

Kirito accepted the party invitation and his name appeared on the corner of my vision. Agil quickly grabbed Kirito by the collar of his jacket and started dragging him towards us. Asuna tailed behind me, making sure Kirito won't do anything.

"A-Agil? What are you doing?" my brother while slightly choking. They didn't respond and continued walking to me.

He turned around to look at our direction and I quickly turned my face away. However, Kirito became suspicious. When he saw Violet, who didn't turn around, his face held an alert expression. He quickly took off his jacket, which Agil held onto, and broke into a sprint towards the exit.

I let out a long sigh and ran to the exit Kirito was heading towards. I used my game-breaking speed to do so, so I felt some fatigue but not enough to make me show signs of tiredness. Kirito stopped and looked at me.

"What are you doing here Mor-" Kirito began but Violet quickly covered his mouth.

"Kirito, we don't want our names to be revealed to the public. For now, Mortifer is _Red Skull_." Violet quietly whispered into his ear.

"And how will I address you and that wolf guy?" Kirito whispered back.

"I'm Lavender and Rizer is White Fang." Violet informed him, "So, will you please stay in the party?"

Kirito didn't look happy at all, but he obliged. He raised his hands to surrender and Agil gave him back his jacket. Kirito put on his jacket and adjusted his sword's sheathe which had been messed up during his escape. Afterwards, he quickly turned toward me, fists glowing yellow, and punched me right on the chest, sending my flying backwards and into the wall.

I bounced harmlessly off of the wall, taking no damage due to us being in the Area. A handful of players quickly surrounded Kirito and began restraining him but I raised my hand to stop them.

"Don't restrain him. That punch is his way of greeting me. Disabling him from doing anything will only make matters worse." I commanded the players. They all backed away and left Kirito alone.

"Whatever happens in this room stays in this room." A voice spoke up. The crowd parted, revealing the speaker to be Kibaou, who looked at my group, "This is a message to everyone in this meeting. We have your names recorded, so if we find you absent during the boss raid, there will be problems. Also, if anybody spreads information of _Red Skull_ and his party, you will also suffer consequences. Does everyone understand?"

"Aye." Everyone responded in unison.

"This boss raid meeting is now dismissed. Now, go prepare!"

 **A few hours later**

We rented a big place in the town of Torus for all of us to stay in. We could've gone to our home in the 24th Floor, but the place is still too small for six of us. I also don't want to take a chance in letting others find out where our group lives.

Rizer, Violet and Asuna had gone on a shopping trip since this inn doesn't serve their own food. Agil also went out to do some shopping, but he is looking for equipment and items rather than food. Kirito and I were both stuck in the inn, silently waiting for the rest to come back.

We sat on chairs located at opposite sides of the room. Neither of us spoke to each other nor did anything that would make the other look at you. We just silently sat in our seats doing nothing. Finally, after what felt like an hour of waiting, Kirito broke the silence,

"When did you get your _NerveGear_ and your copy of SAO?" Kirito asked me. He looked at me questioningly. Since I saw no point in hiding it, I told him.

"I got the _NerveGear_ a day after you did." I began answering his questions, "That time when I left to go sleepover at a friend's home was a lie. I was actually waiting in line for SAO to be released. Even if we are stuck in this death game, I could gladly say that it was worth the wait?"

"You don't care if you die here? You don't care if you never see the real world again?" Kirito questioned me.

"Of course I don't want to die here. There's still a lot I want to do before that happens. Until the day we get out of here, I'm going to cherish the life I have here in Aincrad. Even if I did die, you and everyone else won't even care. It would actually be beneficial to you guys since it is one less mouth to feed."

"And what of the friends you've made here? That Violet girl and Rizer. If you die, what will they do?" Kirito continued on with his questions.

"They'll probably stick together and move on. At least that's what I hope for them to do. Violet can't really take care of herself in this world despite her high level." I told him.

"Excuse me? I can handle myself just fine!" A familiar voice shouted from outside the doorway. The door opened and in came Asuna, Violet, Rizer and Agil.

Violet had her arms crossed and held an angry expression on her face. Asuna held a small pot while Rizer carried a large bag of different meats and vegetables they bought from the market. Agil came in last, holding a newly bought axe and admiring its sheen.

"You can hear through doorways?" Kirito questioned Violet.

"Since Mortifer is always going on quests to improve his stealth skills, I thought it wouldn't hurt to spend one Skill Slot in Straining. Rizer couldn't care less for a skill that's useless for a smith." Violet told my brother. She then glared at me, "Anyways, what were you guys talking about before we got here? I heard something about me not being able to take care of myself."

"It was just a joke. Don't take it too seriously." I said, trying to calm her down, "As for the conversation we were having, I don't think you want to know."

"Can you at least give me a hint on what you guys were talking about?" Violet stubbornly continued on.

"Death." Kirito quickly spoke up, drastically changing the mood of the room, "We were talking about death in the game."

With that, the room went silent. Now knowing what we were talking about, Violet decided to back away. She motioned for Asuna and Rizer to follow her to the kitchen. Agil took a seat next to Kirito and stored his axe back into his inventory. After helping Asuna and Violet unpack the food items, Rizer took a seat beside me.

"Hey, we never did get to decide on the winner of that chess game the other day." Rizer said, finally breaking the silence. He looked at me with fierce expression, "Shall we find out the winner?"

Rizer searched his inventory and pulled out the gameboard. All the pieces layed out automatically and Rizer moved himself to the couch opposite to the one we were sitting on. He decided to take the first turn and moved one of his pawns one square forward.

"A chessboard? Did you buy this off of an NPC?" Agil asked us.

"No. I created it myself. The board was easy, but making the chess pieces were harder than I thought it would be." Rizer informed him.

"Did you spend use up a Skill Slot on Crafting?" Kirito asked him.

"Yeah I did. Both Mortifer and I did. We're making… Wait, can I tell them?" Rizer asked me. I made my move, moving a pawn one space forward.

"Yeah you can tell them about it. Though don't give the location." I told Rizer.

"Okay, so we bought a piece of land, but it only had a really small house with a kitchen and bathroom." Rizer began telling them about our home, "We found out that we can customize that plot of land completely, as in add on to the house or make a completely new building. So we began gathering resources to add onto the place. I took on Crafting since one of us needed a skill like that to be able to create the things we want. Soon enough, I'll be able to create a forge for me to use."

"I was planning on a basement too. Our plot of land is huge and a basement would be a nice thing to have especially as a storage room." I added.

"Finding property like that is costly due to its rarity. How much did you spend in just buying the island with no renovations?" Agil asked us.

"Let's see… It was about one mega Cor, unless my memory is just that bad." Rizer told him. Asuna, Kirito and Agil all gaped in awe.

"That's about the same amount of money I've earned total without paying for anything!" Agil exclaimed, "How did you guys manage to obtain so much money in the first place?"

"We monopolized a couple of farming spots, even the ones on the lower floors. We took every single mob we could find and left none in our wake." I told them, "On the day mob spawns reset, we get up early in the morning to go to the upper floors and farm from there."

"Mortifer made up a schedule that we will follow until we finish up building our home: four days of farming mobs and becoming stronger, two days of building our home, and one day of rest." Rizer added in.

"I still think we should get a second break day in-between the farming and building…" Violet complained quietly while teaching Asuna the basics of cooking.

"When we finish the place, then I'll think about it." I responded to her complaint, smiling evily.

"You're cruel Mortifer." Violet giggled.

 **A few hours later, 25th Floor Labyrinth**

A giant door stood in front of me, made up of black granite. Kirito and Violet stood beside me, also admiring the door. Rizer, Agil, and Asuna hung back, scanning the group of players around us. From the looks of it, nobody is missing, which bodes well for us.

"Are you guys ready?!" Kibaou shouted out to the group of raiders.

"Yeah!" everyone who was part of _The Army_ shouted in unison.

"Let's kick some monster butt!"

Two _Army_ members opened the door for everyone, and we all rushed in together. Upon entering the room, I noticed that the walls were made up of lava falls, and that the edges of the platform we stood on dropped down to a lava pool. There were also a few patches on the floor where small flames burned quietly. This limits the amount of space we have to fight the boss.

As I looked around, I began wondering where the boss is. When I looked towards the center, I noticed a pile of yellow rocks that were too big to move around. But when those rocks started shaking furiously, I finally concluded that those weren't rocks. They were bones.

The bones moved around and began forming a giant creature: a skeletal dragon. The name _Nahkriin the Skeletal Dragon_ appeared above its head. Its eyes glowed a bright red and it let out a terrifying roar. Three health bars appeared above its giant head. At the same time, other yellow bones on the floor began piling up as well, forming _Soulless Servants_. Skeleton warriors.

"Groups D and E, take care of those minions. C and F, bait out the boss's attacks!" Kibaou shouted out orders, "Everyone else and _Red Skull's_ group, hang back for now."

"Don't tell me what to do and what not to do…" I shouted back to him, earning me an annoyed look from the man.

Groups C and F, our tank groups made up of _Army_ members and a few other clearers, confronted the undead dragon with their shields raised high. Before they could take one step further, the dragon breathed out a yellow gas that shined as if there were floating dust particles inside it.

"I-I can't move!" one of the tanks shouted. I quickly looked at the man's health bar and noticed a yellow symbol with a black thunderbolt. Paralysis?!

Fortunately, the paralysis wore off rather quickly for some of the tanks, but the dragon used its next attack and breathed out a sheer cold breath. Those who didn't react fast enough were frozen almost instantaneously, while a few others got caught by the end of it and had that part of their body frozen.

All the health bars of the frozen players began dropping rapidly until it stopped a little bit below half. Without giving us a second to breathe, the dragon took flight, gaining altitude before slamming back down to the ground. The immense shockwave caused all of us to fall over from being unbalanced while all the frozen players shattered into pieces of ice. Those pieces of ice then disappeared into millions of polygons.

"With only two attacks, it managed to take down that many people?!" Agil exclaimed, his eyes filled with fear.

"Seven people have died already, and its only been the first minute of battle. We haven't even landed a single hit on this guy." Kirito mumbled as he recovered himself from the shockwave. The dragon, now done with its attack, cocooned itself with its giant bone wings.

"Okay, now's our chance! Attack while it's vulnerable!" Kibaou shouted out orders.

Every other group except for our own followed the man's orders and began attacking the dragon. Although all of the attackers used their most powerful _Sword Skills_ , the boss's health bar only went down by a little. It must be some defensive move to throw off people into attacking it.

" _Red Skull_ , what are you doing?! You should be leading the offensive!" Kibaou shouted at my group.

"I already told you not to order me and my party around. I do things my way. Now send your men back, you fell for the trap." I told him.

"Nonsense!" Kibaou shouted back in frustration, "Keep attacking! Show this coward the power of _The Army_!"

Before they could even react to Kibaou's battle cry, the dragon shuddered and spread out its wings with such force, anybody directly hit by it was sent all the way to the edge of the room, right into the pool of lava. The last thing I heard from the three players who were hit were their screams as their avatars burned in the lava.

Nine people dead, because Kibaou was too stubborn to pull his men back as well as send a scout team to search this boss room. I'll be surprised if he continues being the leader of the Front Lines. A person like him doesn't deserve to lead these people, let alone be a leader.

"Fear is something you should cherish, Kibaou. It helps you know when to back down from a fight." I told him as I turned towards my team, "The attack pattern seems to go like this: it uses its paralysis breath in a large area in front of him. It then uses a frost breath to freeze any of those who were paralyzed and are too slow to dodge it. The shockwave blast seemed to be very quick but powerful, so I predict we can dodge it by jumping as high as we can.

I looked back at _Nahkriin_ , who had been standing still for about fifteen seconds. It then used its yellow paralysis breath once again in the area in front of him. Everyone moved aside but a few still got caught by it, getting the paralysis effect.

"We can attack while it cocoons, but we only have a limited time before it opens itself up violently. It seems to have a grace period afterwards where we can attack freely but its also a short window. Rizer, you and the tanks will have bait it into attacking you and dodge its breath attacks. The rest of us will move behind it in order to avoid the attacks. You guys ready for this?"

"This boss raid is just stupid. It's such a drag." Kirito complained.

"I'll take that as a yes then. Okay, let's go!"

 **Ten minutes later**

Despite the fact that we weren't fully prepared, this boss raid is taking the same amount of time as any average boss raid. We've brought it down to its last health bar, but two people have perished since we started our counterattack. From the looks of it, _Nahkriin_ is changing its attack pattern as it took flight and started circling above us.

It circled around the room a few more times before plunging straight into the lava wall, which made a small tunnel for the dragon to go through. We heard the dragon's roar coming from the walls, but we couldn't pinpoint its location as it seemed to be moving fairly quickly. Finally, another hole in the lava wall opened up and _Nahkriin_ appeared. It swooped down lower and its mouth started glowing red.

"Dive out of its way!" Kirito shouted.

Everyone ran away from the dragon's line of sight. We looked back to see the ground which the dragon had breathed fire on, to be melting into molten rock. Getting a body part hit by that will deal significant damage. It may even be an instant death if you were caught up in the middle of it.

It did this strafing run twice before it stopped to just hover loudly in the center of the room. It breathed fire at us, which was indicated by its glowing mouth and flashing red eyes. Its tail of bones barely touched the ground, and that's when a stupid idea formed inside my head. An idea so stupid, yet it must be the only way to defeat the boss since it was probably designed to be like that.

"Everyone, back away!" I commanded.

They all listened to my orders and I ran towards the dragon's tail. I grabbed onto it and began climbing, using the ridges and spikes as handles and footholds. I couldn't tell if nobody saw me climb the dragon or if they were in complete disbelief, because I no longer heard the shouts of players.

"What the hell are you doing? Get off of that thing!" Kirito yelled from below me.

"Just trust me on this!" I shouted back to him.

The dragon turned its head and noticed me on its back. Its eyes blinked red and it started flying once again. The amount of g-force I experienced made me a bit nauseous. Thankfully I managed to wrap my arms around one of his rib bones, because once the dragon started moving, it plunged straight into the lava.

I felt like I was on fire. My body was slowly cooking inside this lava oven of hell. Soon, the dragon slowed down enough so I could actually move around a bit. I started crawling closer and closer to its head. Surely there has to be some weak spot to an aerial boss. Well, at least that's the trend for most games with boss fights.

We finally exited the tunnel of lava and I was forced to hold on even tighter to the rib cage since the dragon swooped down to do a strafing run. The players below me scrambled out of the way while they watched me ride the dragon. When the dragon stopped to hover above the ground, I decided to make my move.

I headed over to its head and found a small crack. So small that most people would miss it in a situation like this, but I'm not that kind of person to miss something like this. I got closer to the crack and peered inside. I saw a pink membrane that glowed red. Is that its brain?

"Only one way to find out." I spoke to myself.

I took out a small dagger, as my own sword can't fit inside the crack. I set the edge of the dagger right on top of the crack. I then put both my hands on the hilt of the dagger and pushed it downwards. The brain glowed an even darker red and a stream of black blood gushed out of the crack.

The dragon roared in agony, its final health bar dropping to about half. I quickly ran back to the rib cage and held on tight as possible. The dragon circled around a few more times before entering the lava tunnel once again. After a minute of feeling like I'm being cooked in a microwave, we finally got out.

I climbed back up to the top of its head. I found the crack and positioned my dagger. I then pushed down one last time while using my other hand to protect my face from the black blood. Instead of the expected scream of pain, the dragon froze completely and shuddered before exploding into millions of pixels. I was about to sigh in relief since we had won, but then I noticed that I was now falling back down to the ground.

Adrenaline pumped throughout my body as I began to process what was going to happen. I was far enough from the ground that I will surely take significant damage. It could possibly fatal if I don't manage to spread the pain throughout my body instead of just my legs. There's nothing that will slow my fall except for my cloak, but I'm way too heavy for it to be used as a parachute. My Acrobatics skill is high enough for me to be able to survive falls from height without damage, but not this high.

The ground neared and I made up my mind. If I can successfully perform a role to spread the pain once I hit the ground, then I will be able to survive. If not, then there is a chance I will die. Even so, I'm falling straight down and onto rugged terrain.

"Just stop thinking and do it!" I muttered to myself as I fell.

I finally made contact with the ground, and managed to perform a roll. However, I wasn't able to execute it fully and still took considerable damage. I lied on the ground, numb from the fall. I saw Violet run right towards me, holding a potion in her hand.

"Drink, quick!" she commanded me with a hint of desperation in her voice.

I took the potion and swallowed its contents. My health recovered back to half and I stood up. I stretched my legs to make sure I could still move them without trouble.

"Well, that was fun!" I joked.

"I thought you were afraid of heights." Kirito said as he approached me.

"I am afraid. I think I was just too focused on other things to even bother about how high I was off the ground. Even now I can feel my adrenaline glands pumping."

"It seems like we're done here." Kirito deduced, admiring the 'Congratulations' sign hovering above the center of the room.

"Not yet. I have one last pest to deal with." I told him.

I turned and started walking towards the group of _Army_ soldiers, who were all exhausted. Some held terrified expressions on their faces. At least half of these guys died in this one boss fight. All because of poor leadership and lack of experience. There's also someone here who has to take responsibility for all of these deaths.

I shoved through the crowd and found Kibaou, who was trying to sneak away from the scene. Before he could do so, I grabbed him by his collar and flipped him over me. People around me gasped in shock and I saw my Color Cursor turn orange, which means criminal. Right now however, I don't care if I hurt Kibaou.

"Now where is our courageous leader headed off to?" I asked him while putting my foot against his throat, "Oh dear. Don't tell me you were planning on running away because you let so many players die? That's cruel, especially to those who are no longer living."

"I-If you think you're a better leader than me Red Skull, then how about we duel?" Kibaou laughed.

"I can't tell if you're being stupid, or you are just that prideful. There is no way you will be able to beat me. Not now nor ever."

"We won't know unless we try."

I have never met a person as stubborn as this guy. Just how much does he want to keep his pride? Having this much pride is a bad thing. No wonder why it's called one of the seven deadly sins. I opened my menu and went to the Duel section. I then sent him a request. He accepted and chose the Half-Health Mode.

"Whoever gets dropped to fifty percent health first will lose." Kibaou announced as he drew out his sword.

The grace period timer started ticking, and so I decided to search my inventory for a certain item. When I found it, I smiled greedily. The Last Attack Bonus I got for dealing the final blow on _Nahkriin_ , is a piece of body armor. The _Dragon Bone Chest Plate_.

I equipped the chest plate and it replaced my current leather tunic. It was surprisingly light to wear. Just as the name states, it is made of bones. I hit it hard with my fists and I could tell it is very durable and offers protection. It also doesn't restrict my movements unlike most heavy armors. I then faced Kibaou and pointed my sword to him.

"I will win this duel in one second." I told him.

"Yeah right. In one second, you're going to wish you never accepted this duel in the first place." Kibaou fired back.

The grace period timer ticked zero, and I made my move. Kibaou activated a Sword Skill but I already moved behind him in lightning speed. I swept at his feet with my sword, making him fall. As he fell, I used _Embracer_ , a Martial Arts skill and pulverized his chest straight into the ground. His health dropped a little bit below half and the fight ended, in only one second.

Kibaou lied on the ground, stunned. I sheathed my sword and walked over to Violet and Rizer, who didn't seem as shocked as the rest. Kirito was not amused since he must've known I would win.

"I expect you to honor your word Kibaou since I helped you defeat the boss." I told him as the three of us walked towards the entrance to the 26th Floor, "Unless you want me to hurt your pride even more, you better not say anything about us. Also, I don't think you should be in the Front Lines anymore. At least not until you learn how to lead your members. Farewell."


	8. Chapter 7: The Night of the Forest

**April 2023, Two months later, 28** **th** **Floor Wolf Plains**

The three of us are all level forty-eight, almost to the level fifty milestone. After the 25th Floor Boss raid, we've just been focusing on our Island once again. About two weeks ago, we calculated our Island to have a total area of forty-thousand square meters, which is absurd since we managed to get this for only one Mega Cor.

The amount of space we have exceeds the amount we're probably going to use up, which is why a majority of the Island's land will be for plants and trees to grow. Violet has already started planting tree saplings of many different kinds in a way that it makes a beautiful tree grove. We're even deciding to dig through the Island's surface and make a man-made river.

Rizer's forge and the storage room was combined, taking up about seven hundred square meters. We've also added Rizer's room to the house, which was identical to the rooms that were already present to make it fair for all of us. Our next project will be the basement, which we plan on making it go under the entire Island, even if we don't use it all up.

Today however is a special day for us. Two days ago, while we were out trying to level up our characters on the 27th Floor, we came across a lone girl. She was a potion maker, who creates potions of different kinds and sells it to players who are willing to buy. However, she informed us that not a lot of people buy potions anyway since they don't see the point of it.

Even so, she continues in her craft as she enjoys doing so. Not only has she used a Skill Slot in Potion Crafting, she used one in Trap Making too. We actually met her because Rizer had triggered one of the traps that she made to capture a reptile. She freaked out when she saw Rizer hanging upside down instead of the reptile she had been dying to see.

This reptile however turned out to be one of higher-leveled monsters of that floor. We defeated a group of them and gave the ingredients we obtained to the girl. She was ecstatic at our generosity and volunteered to be our own personal alchemist. She seemed innocent enough, and I saw no harm in getting one more member into the group.

The girl's name is Paradox. The nickname we chose to give her is Poison. She is apparently two years younger than Violet, making her a year older than my brother. Although she is only fifteen, she looks much older than most girls of her age. In fact, you could easily compare her to Violet's age. On the other hand, her personality is still a bit childish, which I for some reason adored.

The one downside of taking her in is the fact that she has little to no combat skills. That means that she won't be of any help when it comes to combat but rather a heavy burden to make sure that she doesn't get hurt. Nonetheless, she's volunteered to stay at the Island instead of join us in our farming sessions.

"Hey, have you noticed the color of Paradox's eyes?" Violet questioned me as she distracted a wolf, allowing me to deal a killing blow.

"No not really. What about them?" I asked her.

"They're green. Not the kind of green that you see only a speck of, but it's a clearly visible green. I was mesmerized by them since they looked like shining emeralds." Violet sighed in wonder, "I already miss seeing those eyes."

"Oh I see… So you're into that kind of stuff…" Rizer mused. That one statement however, blew Violet's fuse.

"What the hell did you just say?!" Violet snapped, sending shivers down my spine, "For starters, I am not into that kind of stuff! Second, you better think about how your stupid jokes will affect those it is directed towards! Some people can't take a joke, like me. Just because I'm in love with the color of her eyes doesn't mean I'm a lesbian!"

"S-Sorry…" Rizer apologized, slowly backing away from the enraged Violet.

"I, uh… I think we should call it a day…" I said, ending the conversation.

We all put away our equipment and took the path towards home. Violet walked ahead of us with her arms crossed. She is completely enraged at Rizer for making a joke that took it a bit too far. Rizer also lagged behind me, ashamed for making such a joke. I guess he's now learned how far is too far.

 **May 2023, Two weeks later, 24** **th** **Floor**

We've started on laying out the basement. Right as we go down the stairs will be the strategy room if we ever decide to form a guild and join the Front Lines. The rooms adjacent to that are the sleeping quarters and the storage room. Further down the hallway is an enormous entertainment room which is currently empty.

The room parallel to the entertainment room, is Paradox's laboratory. Excluding the entertainment room, it is quite possibly the biggest room in the whole Island. We've crafted numerous different tools and mixing equipment for Paradox. We also made a shelf for her to organize her ingredients. In return for building her potion-making paradise, she created a healing potion for each us of. She claims that it can heal us up to full health if we consume it completely.

Anyways, not all the support columns and walls are in place, so we're still trying to keep Paradox out of the room, should there be a chance the tunnel collapses. It definitely won't be fun having to dig your way out while choking on some dirt.

Currently, Rizer and I are shaping the wood that Paradox has gathered into beams. Violet has decided to use a spare Skill Slot for the Masonry skill, which will allow us to make durable stone walls instead of wooden ones. However, Violet has spent way more time thinking up of designs she can do for the walls than the actual construction of it.

Regardless, once she started building it however, it amazes us with the designs she came up with. She made it seem like the walls were done by professional builders. It didn't surprise me when she said she wants to major in art when she grows up.

Other than that, the day is going by great. Way in the distance, I could see a giant storm cloud forming. There will probably be a storm over the entire floor later this evening. It is spring season in a floor covered with water, so I shouldn't be surprised about this. Even so, I had a feeling that something is coming.

 **Later that evening**

The sound of rain pelting against the roof of our house has been going on for the past half hour. Lightning could be seen and thunder could be heard, but it was nowhere close to us. Everyone sat at the dinner table ready to eat supper, but there's only one problem. Not everyone is here. Paradox hasn't come back home.

"She's thirty minutes late for supper…" Violet worried as she looked at the time, "Where do you think she is?"

I opened my menu to check my friends' list. I selected Paradox and checked her location on my map. She is still in the forest that connects the Island with the rest of the floor. I checked her location almost an hour ago and it seems she hasn't moved at all. Did something happen?

"If she got lost, then she would've messaged us to come earlier." I hypothesized, "We should go check on her and see what's taking her so long."

"Do you think a tree may have fallen on her and disables her right arm from opening the menu?" Violet asked me.

"Doubtful. Once you cut a tree down, it breaks into pieces and gets stored into your inventory." Rizer stated.

"Let's stop wasting time and hurry up. Leaving her out during this storm would be terrible." I said, standing up from my chair.

We each got our equipment, which we left in the living room table. We put on our cloaks and pulled up our hoods in order to protect us from the dreadful storm. When I tried to open the door, the wind quickly pushed it back, hitting me square on the face.

Rizer tried his best to stifle a laugh, but in the end he couldn't help it. While he laughed his butt off, I put on my mask to protect myself from anymore facial injuries. We then stepped out from under the front porch and into the spring storm. We ran towards the bridge and slowed our pace to a jog since the stone bridge is slippery.

We entered the forest as one and stuck close to each other. We ran deeper and deeper into the forest until we could no longer see the bridge towards the Island. The lightning seemed to get closer to us, as the time gap between the lightning and thunder began to decrease.

"Paradox!" we all shouted into the storm, though I doubt she can hear us.

I continuously checked on my radar. She still hasn't moved from her position which means she must not be able to move. I showed Violet and Rizer her location and we split up. I headed straight for Paradox while Violet went to the left and Rizer on my right.

As I got closer to her position I began to hear laughing. It was so faint, that it could've been my imagination. However, after hearing the laughter more than three times in a row, I knew that I wasn't paranoid, and that there is indeed someone laughing in the storm.

Wanting to be able to see everything that's happening on the ground, I climbed up the nearest tree and started jumping from tree to tree. Soon, I began seeing a bright yellow light ahead of me, along with an out-of-place fir tree. Was that tree always there?

I finally got close enough to the point that I could now see Paradox. She was tied to the fir tree with a gag in her mouth. She was also blindfolded, unable to see anything. Surrounding her, were three other hooded figures.

"This one is a cutie." One of the hooded guys spoke from below. They then took of Paradox's blindfold, revealing her tearing eyes, "Hey Boss, it would be a shame to waste a beauty like this. It's not everyday you see eyes like those."

"Yes... You're right about that." A different person spoke. The man approached Paradox and held her chin up, "I'll be going first though. Get the poison."

The man reached his hand out, and his partner reached into a bag in search of something. As I focused on the bag, I realized that it was Paradox's. The guy pulled out a flask and observed it carefully. He then handed it to their boss.

Their boss removed the gag from Paradox's mouth and forced the contents of the flask down her throat. Paradox started coughing violently before she suddenly froze completely still. The only movements that could be seen where her mouth and eyes. Paralysis? What the hell are they planning on doing?

Their leader then opened up his menu and scrolled down to the bottom of his list. It seems he disabled one of the options in his settings, but I couldn't spot which one. He then untied a part of Paradox's bindings, freeing her right arm. He forced her right arm to do the same thing he just did.

The next thing that happened shocked me completely. The man removed all of Paradox's bindings except for two large ones that prevents her from moving her body and legs. He then grabbed onto the collar of Paradox's shirt and ripped it right off of her.

No… He isn't thinking about doing that, right? He can't be. If he really is thinking about it, then why am I still up here watching them?! I should be going down there to help! My eyes darted around and I spotted both Rizer and Violet, who watched in horror.

I looked back to Paradox. The man in front of her began to pull down his pants, and that's when I snapped. I regained the feeling of my muscles and jumped off of the tree. Even so, I was already too late. He closed in on Paradox, whose eyes were filled with fear. My vision turned red and all of the sounds that were around me were completely muted. All I could hear now, is Paradox's piercing scream.

I landed with a violent boom. The earth beneath me crumbled from the force of the landing. I took damage due to the absurb height I fell from, but I didn't care. All I care about now, is making sure that the three hooded people in front of me right now will not see the light of tomorrow.

"May death rain upon them." I muttered under my breath.

As I spoke those words, the voice that reached my ears were foreign to me. It didn't sound human at all, but rather demonic or god-like. The three criminals in front of me panicked upon witnessing my arrival. They tried drawing their swords but it slipped out of their hands. Their leader was still busy trying to pull his pants up.

Soon, they just gave up in trying to retrieve their swords and scrambled away. I chased down the one that was closest, and swept at his legs with my sword. He tripped over, about to land face-first before I kicked his face back up with enough force to reverse his direction. He landed on his back before I stabbed him through the chest with my sword.

I didn't even bother watching the death animation and moved onto my next target. I ran in front of my next target and used _Embracer_. I punched him right on the chest with enough force to send him flying back to Paradox's feet. The guy sat up but before he could stand up to run, I threw five daggers right at his face. None of them missing its mark. Two went through his eyes, and the other three managed to fit inside his mouth.

I then faced my last foe, which is the one I want to break the most. Their leader. The one who hurt Paradox. He was trying to climb the fir tree Paradox is bound to, but I'm a much faster climber. I caught up with him and grabbed his foot, pulling him back down to the ground.

He landed on his back and lied there, stunned. I landed on top of his chest, making him wheeze loudly. I grabbed his arm and severed it from his body in one clean slash. I did the same thing with his other arm as well as his legs. I have now turned him into a limbless, screaming male doll.

"Please! Don't kill me! Have mercy!" the man pleaded.

"Mercy?" I uttered to him, "It seems that I do not know the meaning of such a word."

I raised my sword and activated a Sword Skill, _Pentagram Sword_. He let out one final scream as I traced a star on his body before stabbing him right through his skull, in between the eyes. His body shuddered momentarily before finally disintegrating.

I stood there, trying to regain my breath and suffering the Post-Motion Delay. When it was over, I turned around to look at Paradox. Her eyes were filled with tears. In those eyes I could see fear. Was it fear of me? Or fear of those I just killed? Rizer and Violet emerged from the trees and helped Paradox get unbound. While that happened, more thoughts raced inside my mind.

Did… Did I just kill those people? Did they even deserve death as a punishment for hurting a friend of mine? Hell, I didn't even know the names of the people I just killed. I will never know now that they and their bodies are gone. My vision was still red and my head started hurting from all these thoughts. I closed my eyes and clutched my head, hoping it would stop.

When I opened my eyes again, my vision was an even darker red. When I looked down to look at myself, I noticed I was covered in blood. The places where I killed those people now had a puddle of blood as the only sign of their demise. Were there always puddles of blood at the places which people died?

Then I started hearing something. It was someone screaming. I looked around to see who it was, but found nobody other than Rizer, Violet and Paradox. Their mouths weren't open, yet I could still hear screaming. It's getting louder by the second, making my head hurt. These screams… They're the same as the players I had just killed…

"There's Voices… In my head…" I said out loud, falling to my knees and clutching my head, "It hurts so bad… Make it stop… Make it stop!"

"Mortifer!" Violet called out to me. She began to approach but I held up my hand to stop her.

"Please Violet… Stay away…" I told her as I slowly backed away, "I don't want to hurt you. I promised myself that I would never hurt you or let you get hurt. If I hurt you, I will never forgive myself"

Soon, the pain became unbearable. I dropped down to the ground and began screaming in agony. My head hurts so much, but I need to get away from here. I tried my best to stand up and started running away, slamming into trees since I wasn't focused.

"Wait Mortifer! Come back!" Violet's voice called out in the distance.

I didn't go back. I couldn't go back. Not like this. I can't be with them knowing I have done something so terrible. This sin I have just committed, is far worse than what they did to Paradox. So I continued running. I ran as far as I could before my whole world went dark.

 **The next morning**

I could hear them even before I was fully awake. The Voices inside my head that is. The voices of those three players kept constantly screaming at me. I tried plugging my ears but it seems that the sound really is coming from inside my head. Have I gone completely insane and paranoid?

I slowly opened my eyes and found myself inside a cave. It was big enough to fit three public buses inside. I was apparently sleeping on a thin rug that rested on top of a small pile of hay. At the center of the room, there was a small pile of burnt wood and charcoal. I could see a few embers left, meaning this fire was put out recently.

I stood up and stretched my body. It ached terribly from all the running I did last night. I must've been using my speed glitch for so long that the fatigue still lingers like in the real world. Even so, I started walking towards the mouth of the cave, indicated by the light coming from the entrance.

I covered my eyes as I walked out. My eyes adjusted after a few seconds. When I looked straight ahead, I could see a vast ocean spread before me. I walked to the edge of what seems like a cliff and backed away once I saw the sheer drop into the ocean. When I looked around me, I noticed that I was located near the top of a mountain. That must explain the near hundred meter drop into the ocean.

Although this cliffside is fairly dangerous, the view was amazing. I could see the point in which the ocean drops into nothingness, as well as the dark abyss below. The wind here is stronger due to our elevation, but it felt good as it blew across my face.

I'm still on the 24th Floor, but it seems I must've traveled to the farthest corners of the floor. Although the floor is mainly ocean, if you go far enough due east from Panareze, there is actually a giant landmass there where the Labyrinth is located. If you travel farther, you reach these mountains, but nobody travels this far due to the treacherous mountain paths. This must be the most isolated portion of the floor.

Even so, when I turned around, I spotted a man leaning against the wall next to the cave's entrance. Was he already there? I didn't even catch a glimpse of him as I walked out. He wore black armor and pants that reached up all the way to his stomach. He wore a long red scarf that drooped down to his hips. His most prominent feature however, is the absurdly gigantic sword strapped to his back.

As for what he really looks like, he had spiky blonde hair and his arms were completely ripped. His blue eyes looked at nothing until they decided to look right at me. He looks like he's around my age, yet something told me that he is actually older than he looks. Twenties maybe?

The man continued to stare at me and that's when I noticed something above his head. The usual green Color Cursor was above the man's head, but then I noticed the words NPC right under it. This guy isn't a player, but a non-playable character. Furthermore, there was a golden exclamation point above his head, indicating that he is a Quest-NPC.

I was curious since I have never seen this NPC before, nor heard of any rumors about a Quest-NPC here in the mountains. I know almost every quest in the game due to our constant farming sessions and buying information from info-brokers, yet I've never heard even a whisper of something here on this floor.

"Is something troubling you?" I asked the NPC. The man didn't respond but rather looked down on the ground, "Are you in need of assistance?"

Once again the man didn't respond. Is there a prerequisite to this quest? Being something on the 24th Floor, if its combat-skill based, then I should surpass the requirements. He definitely looks like the type who would issue a combat-related quest. If not, then I have no clue what I can do to activate the quest.

Suddenly, the Voices inside my head started getting louder. I put my hand on my head and headed back inside. I focused on trying to push them back but to no avail. I then tried out something I rarely use due to the amount of time I have to spend just to level it up: Meditation.

It is an Extra Skill I picked up recently. I had a spare Skill Slot so I decided to spend it on Meditation. The skill allows me to regenerate health at a slow rate by focusing my mind and body. But with the addition of Paradox to the team, I soon found no use for it. Speaking of which, I wonder how they are doing without me…

 _I feel a strong wind blowing against me. Even with my eyes half-closed, I could clearly see the flash of lightning in the distance. I fully opened my eyes and found myself on top of a tall tree. The same tree I jumped from when saving Paradox. Only this time, it was different._

 _I looked down below and saw the scene that haunts me once again. The three hooded figures stood there laughing at Paradox who was bound to the tree. When I looked at Paradox's face, her expression showed despair and disappointment. She then began speaking._

 _"_ _Why Mortifer?!" she shouted through the storm, "Why would you let this happen to me! I thought you cared about me! I trusted you, yet this is what I get in return?!"_

 _She began crying tears. Not just any tears however. They were dark red tears, like she was crying out blood. I was then forced to watch as their leader violated her once again. After he was done, the next person stepped up. He did the same thing his leader did to her._

 _"_ _You had so many opportunities to stop them, yet you just sat there and cowered in fear!" Paradox screamed, "Even now you aren't doing anything to help me!"_

 _I looked around for Violet and Rizer, and found them standing on trees adjacent to me instead of on the ground like they were when it had happened. Both of their eyes were as dark as night. Even Violet's eyes which shine brightly in the moonlight were pitch black, like the void of space._

 _"_ _Why didn't you command us to attack Mortifer?" the two of them asked me, "Why didn't you command us to stop this from happening?"_

 _My body was frozen in fear. I don't know… I don't know why I didn't act sooner. I was just so scared of what else will happen. I was too shocked to even move a muscle. This is the price I have to pay because of my cowardice. I then looked back to Paradox, who was now being violated by the last member._

 _"_ _I hate you!" Paradox screamed at the top of her lungs, "I hate you more than anything in this cruel world!"_

 _The last member finished his deed. Their leader then approached Paradox, smiling evily. Suddenly, I felt my soul leave my body and got sucked into the body of their leader. I felt my body move but I didn't tell it to do so. It's like I'm just looking through the eyes of their leader, and unable to do anything to help my friend._

 _I watched as the body I was in placed its hand on Paradox's chin. The body moved in close and whispered something into Paradox's ear. I could faintly hear what the leader had whispered._

 _"_ _Your friends have abandoned you…"_

 _The leader pulled back and unsheathed something from his belt. It was a shiny silver dagger, with a skull engraved on its hilt. I watched as the man put the dagger against Paradox's throat and sliced it open, letting blood flow out like a waterfall._

 _"_ _W-What are you?" Paradox cried out as her body went limp._

 _Instead of disintegrating like a normal corpse in SAO, the body remained. Blood kept flowing out from her neck, making a puddle of dark red blood beneath my feet. At that moment, I felt my soul return to my real body and I was now looking down at Paradox's corpse._

 _The three hooded men started laughing maniacally. Their laughs reaching into my head, mixing in with the Voices that were shattering my eardrums. The hooded men then grew in size and changed into three monstrosities. Grim reapers. The personification of death itself._

 _The three grim reapers hovered towards me, each materializing their own scythe. Their skull-like faces continued laughing like maniacs, before they raised their scythes. They brought the scythes down with lightning speed and cut my body into three pieces._

 **Midnight**

I woke up screaming. The Voices inside my head were also screaming. That nightmare felt very real. I could feel the wind and rain against my body. Paradox's screams would rattle my eardrums. I can still feel the scythes as they cut through my body and soul.

I was screaming and crying in a fetal position when I noticed the NPC was looking right at me. His expression showed curiosity. He dropped the stick he was using to play with the fire, and turned to me.

"You… You have a darkness in you too?" the blonde guy asked me. I gave him a slight nod in return.

A screen of white appeared before me. On the top-central side, the words 'Quest Received' were written. Below it was the quest name: _The Darkness Within_. It gave me the standard 'Accept' or 'Deny' choices right below the name of the quest. Since I was both curious and saw no harm, I accepted the quest.

"My name is Cloud Strife." the NPC began talking, "I have been searching for someone who is similar to me. I too have a darkness inside me, and I want to get rid of it. There is one way we can do so."

A way to get rid of my darkness? In this game? Although I was doubtful something could fix my insanity, I had to keep my hopes up. I can't return to my friends if looking like this.

"There is a dungeon, not too far from here. It is a hidden high-level dungeon that requires two challengers. These two people must have a darkness in their hearts, or else they will not be allowed to enter. I need your help to get rid of the darkness inside of me. In return, I will help you get rid of yours. Do we have a deal?"

He extended his hand out. I hesitated at first, but I also reached my hand out and shook his. His hands were ice cold despite the gloves he wore. It was like shaking the hand of a corpse.

"What is your name?" Cloud asked me.

"Mortifer… My name is Mortifer…"

/

/

/

This is probably the most violent chapter of all of them. This chapter introduces the main conflict of the story (other than escaping SAO).

I wanted to get this chapter posted ASAP since I didn't want to disappoint. Also, make sure to check my Google+ account (link should be in my profile).

Paradox's drawing will be posted on my Google+.

 _If you see a whole section of italicized words like this, it means someone is having a flashback, a dream, or something is happening internally._

And if you guys must know, yes... Cloud Strife is Cloud from Final Fantasy 7 and Kingdom Hearts

Good bye!


	9. Chapter 8: A Visit to the Past

**June 2023**

It has been one month since I met Cloud. One month since I started this quest and trained non-stop. One month since that incident. And during all that time, we've kept our interactions with other players to a bare minimum. When I am in need of supplies, we would go to the city during night, when everyone is asleep. Even so, that doesn't mean we are always hidden.

A handful of players have spotted us and tried to follow but to no avail. Cloud's stealth skills are on par with mine, and both of us can sprint fast enough to leave any stalkers clueless. In just one month, rumors about us have already spread throughout Aincrad as the two of us have been going from floor to floor, taking every single monster we could find. Both weak ones and strong ones.

The reason for this is because Cloud informed me just how challenging this dungeon is. The monsters there are mainly ones from Floor 50 and above. He even said he has encountered monsters that are usually found in the 70th Floors. If I could give up, I would, but I can't since I promised myself I would do this.

Today however is special. Cloud and I have taken a break from farming up mobs. We are back at the cave I first met Cloud in. This area is apparently called the Edge of the World, since this is the only region where you can see what is outside of Castle Aincrad. The wall was apparently removed at this section to let the ocean fall into the abyss below.

Other than that, I am completely intrigued with Cloud's intelligence. He's the most unique NPC I've ever seen, able to talk and reply to almost anything. NPCs usually have boundaries to what they can react to, but I haven't found that limit yet with Cloud. It's like he's an actual human being. How much time and effort did Kayaba Akihiko put into creating him?

As I pondered on that question, I looked into Cloud's eyes. He was staring intently at the fire while eating his food so he didn't notice I was staring at him. His eyes showed an empty void, as if he had lost something precious to him. That's when I decided to ask him.

"How did it start? Your darkness I mean…" I asked him nervously. Cloud's expression changed into one filled with pain. He then calmed himself and turned to me.

"The darkness I committed isn't really a sin, or something I did in the past. It is a person, by the name of Sephiroth." Cloud began telling his story, "You could consider us to be mortal enemies. We are complete opposites of each other, yet we are part of the same person."

"W-What do you mean by that?" I asked him confused.

"Sephiroth and I were injected with an alien's DNA. This alien's cells were theorized to reunite if they were to separate. Anyway, Sephiroth grew up and became a powerful soldier. He was in fact the most famous warrior at that time. However, he later found out about his alien DNA and his biological mother. He then followed the footsteps of his alien mother, and tried to take over our Planet. I've come here to destroy him once and for all."

"Oh… I don't really understand the part where you two are related but I understand the rest. If I were you, I would also be trying to hunt that guy down." I told him.

"How about you Mortifer? What is your story?" Cloud asked me. The Voices suddenly started to get louder, yet I began recalling what had happened that night.

"It happened the night before I found myself here in this cave. We were waiting for a friend to return home for supper, but they never did. So we went out to search for our friend. We found her tied to a tree and surrounded by three men. They, did things to her…"

The Voices were screaming now, but there was no pain and I could still think clearly. Cloud stared at me intently, interested by my story. Even though I knew I would hurt myself even more by telling this story, I did so anyway.

"I approached the three men as they watched their leader do his business. I gave them no time to prepare for a fight and slaughtered them, showing no mercy. That event triggered something inside me, and now, I am haunted by the screams and pleas of those I killed that they. As you already know, I still get nightmares about that day."

My head is aching now. I tried pushing it back when Cloud suddenly touched my head and closed his eyes. His cold hands made me feel uncomfortable, but I didn't move away from him. He had his eyes closed for a half a minute and then he finally opened his eyes.

"The Voices in your head are real, I can hear them. The darkness in you is strong. You must be prepared to face it." He whispered. "Now rest, for tomorrow we will resume training."

Cloud grabbed a few more logs of wood and threw it into the fire. He then went to his sleeping spot, leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. I also went to my spot. I lied down on the pile of hay and closed my eyes, hoping that I wouldn't get a nightmare.

 **July 2023**

Recently I've been curious about something. I didn't really notice is until earlier this month. I am still in Violet's friends' list, which means she can track me down. By now, I am sure she would've gone looking for me, yet I haven't spotted her at all. Does she not want to see me?

"Cloud, does the Edge of the World hide others from seeing you on their maps?" I asked the NPC.

"Not that I'm aware of. Why are you asking?" He said in return.

"You see, my friends have me on their list, which means they can track down my position anytime they want." I told him.

"Oh, I see… You're wondering why they haven't come looking for you?"

I gave him a simple nod in return, and he rested his chin on his hand. His expression clearly conveyed that he was trying to think up of a solution. He then shook his head, finding nothing.

"Do you think I can take the day off tomorrow?" I asked him.

"Are you going to visit your friends to see what they're up to?" he asked me back, and once again I gave him a nod, "Very well. I shall accompany you then."

"W-What?" I exclaimed, shocked at his words, "You sure Cloud?"

"I too want to see your friends. The fact that they can't see you on their map is very mysterious." Cloud mused.

"Well… Okay then… We should leave early in the morning tomorrow. The place where we stayed at is on this floor, but at the complete opposite end of it. We can't teleport to Panareze either since you are not able to do something like that."

"Don't worry about me." Cloud said while shaking his head, "Worry about you and your friends."

 **The next day, the Island**

How long has it been since I've last been here? Almost two months? Nothing has really changed here on this Island. If they had kept up with our regular schedule, they would be busy power-leveling today. However, it seems that that is not the case.

Cloud and I hid inside a tree next to the bridge. From here, I could see Rizer at the other side of the Island, where the tree grove has almost fully grown. A garden of flowers also covered the region around where the majority of the trees are planted. The man-made river we created has yet to be completed. At the moment, Rizer was working on something next to the biggest tree in the tree grove. We were still too far away from him to clearly see his project.

On the other hand, both Paradox and Violet were sitting on the front porch of the house. Violet held a basket of flowers in her arms while Paradox sat next to her, rubbing her back. Violet's eyes seemed to be staring at the bridge, as if she were waiting for something to return. Waiting for me to return.

"Are those your friends Mortifer?" Cloud asked me.

"Yeah. Those are my friends." I responded.

At that moment, I spotted Violet open up her menu and pulled out her map. Scared of being discovered, I almost dropped down from the tree to run away until Cloud suddenly grabbed my shoulders. He pointed back to Violet, who examined her map carefully. When I saw the map, it looked completely ordinary. That is until I noticed three markers instead of four.

The map is the simplest way of tracking down where people are located. You can only see you and your friends in the map, which are represented by the markers. The only time you aren't able to see someone on your map is when they are in a dungeon or cave. Because I am Violet's friend, there should be a fourth marker on her map, but there were only three. This tree can't be a dungeon or cave either, as that would make no sense. The next thing she did shocked me even more.

Violet closed her map and opened up her friends' list. Like everyone in the group, the list of friends we have are small. In fact, the only people we have in our friends' list is each other. The thing that shocked me, is the color of my name on her list, and the line going across it.

Upon scrolling to a friend, the translucent grey bar turns white in order to indicate that this friend has been selected. My name however, was blacked out and barely legible to read due to the little contrast between the letters and the background. A grey line also crossed through mine. A black name with a line going across means that that person is dead.

That's when it hit me hard. The reason why they haven't gone looking for me is not because they can't track me… It's because they think I'm already dead. After all, what kind of sane person would go searching for someone who's already dead?

But it doesn't make sense. Why is it that I appear dead to them? I'm alive, right here, right now. If I wasn't alive, then I wouldn't be able to do these things that a player would be able to do. I can see, feel, hear, taste, and smell everything around me. I don't remember dying at some point in this game. Is it a glitch in the system?

Suddenly, without warning, Cloud jumped down from the tree and landed with a boom due to the weight of his sword and the height of the fall. The noise scared Violet and Paradox, forcing Rizer to quickly run to them with his sword already drawn out. The three of them approached Cloud, who dropped his sword on the ground and held his hands up in a surrender-like fashion.

"I do not wish to harm you. However, even if you killed me, I will only respawn." Cloud admitted.

"Respawn? You're an NPC?" Rizer asked him. Cloud nodded in return, "What kind of business does an NPC have to travel to this Island?"

"My name is Cloud Strife. I was watching you from that tree and noticed that you are all very gloomy. I wish to ask you why is it that you are all radiating sorrow."

"That's none of your business, and what kind of NPC are you?" Rizer moved his blade closer to Cloud's neck, "From the looks of it you're a Quest NPC, but aren't you guys supposed to stay in a certain location? Either way, I've never seen a Quest-NPC that resembles you."

"Indeed I am a Quest-NPC, but I am one that assists players in their quests. That is why I am able to travel to different places. Now, can you please put that sword down? It's making me feel uncomfortable…"

Cloud tried pushing the tip of Rizer's sword away but he only pushed it closer to Cloud. The sharp, cold blade touched the NPC's neck. Cloud sighed and brought down his arms. In a flash, he reached behind his back to unsheathe his sword. In one fell swoop, Cloud knocked Rizer's blade out of his hands and pointed his massive blade to Rizer.

"I said I do not wish to harm you, and I intend to keep that promise. If you're wondering why I am able to do things such as this, then my answer to you is no. I am fully aware that I am not a real person, but that is all I know."

Everyone including myself was shocked at his words. Cloud's Color Cursor and the fact that he gives out quests indicates full well that he is an NPC. I know that yet I sometimes refuse to believe he is one. His communication system is more complex than anything I've ever seen.

Rizer raised his hands up in a surrender-like fashion, making Cloud lower his sword. Violet then approached Cloud, still holding the basket of flowers in her arms. She scrutinized Cloud, looking at his appearance. She dropped her basket of flowers and then started touching his spiky hair, twirling it around her fingers.

"Um… What exactly are you doing miss?" Cloud asked her, confused and slightly blushing.

"I never knew NPCs could blush." Violet mused. She finally stopped playing with Cloud's hair and took a step back, "We are depressed because we lost someone close to us. We have been waiting for him to return home, but he hasn't done so. It has been almost two months since he disappeared on us."

"I see… Might I ask what is it you were working on by that big tree over there?" Cloud asked, pointing to Rizer's project.

The four of them began walking towards the big tree. Since I also wanted to get a closer look, I silently dropped down from the tree and trailed behind them. Cloud seemed to notice my move and made his footsteps slightly louder, as to help mute the sound of my own footsteps. I then climbed a tree that was far enough as to not be seen, but close enough to see what's going on.

The thing Rizer was working on seems to be a grave. My grave. He used an obsidian rock and carved my name on the rock. Lavender flowers were littered around the grave. The sea breeze must've scattered the flowers despite the other trees acting as windbreakers.

"Whose grave is this?" Cloud questioned.

"The friend Violet told you about." Paradox stated.

"Why have you made a grave even though you are waiting for him to return home?"

"Well… According to our friends' list as well as the Monument of Life back in the 1st Floor, Mortifer is dead. But… But…"

Violet's eyes began tearing up, forcing Paradox to go to her side and comfort her. She too had tears in her eyes. Rizer turned away with a pained expression. It seems he too is affected by my disappearance, or because he has to deal with Violet and Paradox.

"I refuse to believe he is dead… And something inside me tells me that he is still out there somewhere. I can feel him trying to reach for me." Violet cried out.

"If I hadn't joined you guys, you wouldn't have to deal with this loss Violet. I knew I would just be a hinderance to you guys." Paradox sobbed.

"Don't talk like that Paradox." Rizer mumbled, "Knowing Mortifer, he probably won't like it if you continuously beat yourself up for this."

The Voices in my head grew stronger as I remembered that night. Indeed, I do not like it when others take blame for sefless things that I do, despite the fact that I don't care much about most people. However, my party to me is like my second family. We live together, thrive together, and survive together. Of course I would want to protect them.

The two girls started crying. Rizer paced around the tree, still holding a pained expression on his face. Cloud went over to comfort Violet as she began placing lavender flowers on my grave. Paradox picked up the scattered flowers and placed them where they belong whilst crying.

"I didn't even get the chance to say that I loved him…" Violet sobbed as a tear fell and hit the ground next to my tombstone.

That's when I suddenly felt a wave of dizziness wash over me. I lost my grip on the branch I was holding onto. My foot slipped and I came crashing down to the ground, my cloak now entangled by multiple branches that it had clipped onto during the fall. Although I could not see them clearly, I could feel all of their eyes staring at me.

"Who's that guy?" Rizer questioned. Everyone began walking towards me but Cloud stood in front of them with his arms spread wide.

"It's just my friend. Zack." Cloud lied.

I attempted to get up but I was still dazed and shock from both the fall and Violet's words. Why is it that those words shocked me so? I already knew she liked me. She even said I looked like someone she had a crush on in the real world. Heck, even I find her to be cute. But why am I still shocked?

"I'm taking a closer look…" Rizer grumbled as he pushed past Cloud.

I finally got back to my senses and started ripping out the branches that I was entangled in. While I struggled to free myself from nature's grasp, Cloud was busy trying to stall my friends from getting to me. He pushed them, tripped them and pulled on their clothing. Cloud really is the most unique NPC I've ever seen.

Eventually, he pissed of Rizer, who tackled him to the ground and pinned him there, allowing Paradox and Violet to freely run towards me. I was finally free from the branches but notice that my foot was stuck on one of the tree's roots that were extruding off the ground. Both Paradox and Violet are now sprinting towards me. By the time I got my foot removed, it was already too late.

"Hey!" Violet called out. Her tone was neither threatening nor friendly, "You… Who are you? What are you doing here?"

I didn't move a muscle. I was too shocked to speak. My body told me to greet her with a hug, but my mind protested. I can't show myself to them yet. I won't be satisfied until I extinguish the darkness inside of me. However, I can't find a way to get out of this cleanly.

"Hello? Did you have trouble hearing me or are you just ignoring me?"

I slowly turned my body to face Violet. I continued to look down on the ground so Violet wouldn't see my mask nor my face. In the meantime, I was forming plans in my head as to how I can get out of this situation. I looked to Cloud, who was still pinned by Rizer. Violet can somewhat catch up to me if I run without using my glitched speed. If I do use it, then it would give away my identity completely since I am the only person they know who is capable of doing such a thing.

I became so distracted that I didn't even notice Paradox attempting to sneak up on me. I turned around and saw her reach out to grab my hood. Her hand grabbed the piece of cloth and that's when I decided to risk being found. Before they got to see my face, I pushed Paradox away and ran away with my speed.

I ran out of the tree grove and ran across the bridge. I went into the forest and continued running inside it until I was too tired to move. Cloud is still back there, but I am confident he will be able to escape from them. When I leaned against the tree, a cool ocean breeze blew on my face. The cold made my skin tingle. Upon brushing my face with my hand, that's when I noticed the horrible mistake I have just made.

I reminisced to the time Paradox grabbed onto my hood. She indeed pulled it down, but she did something else after that. Yes… She grabbed a loose strap of leather that flew in the air. The way I moved in order to escape must've shaken it off as she pulled on the leather to loosen it.

My hands trembled as I realized that my mask is now gone.

(Violet)

The mysterious man disappeared into the forest. Thoughts began racing inside my head. The speed at which that man ran matches Mortifer's if he uses his speed glitch. However, Mortifer is dead according to the game, so it can't be him. If that Cloud guy is telling the truth, then the man must be his friend Zack or whatever name he said. I then remembered that Rizer still had Cloud pinned, and so I turned and ran back to them.

I stomped my way to Cloud and put my foot on his neck whilst Rizer prevented him from moving his arms and legs. I then crouched down, putting more weight on his neck and gave him an angry expression.

"You better tell us something, or you're going to get a punish far worse than being trapped in the basement."

"Something." The NPC said with a grin.

"Okay that's it. I'm going to make sure you-"

I stopped as I was interrupted by the sound of Paradox's crying. I removed my foot off of Cloud's throat and looked at Paradox. She was on her knees crying. Her tears appeared to be those of joy instead of sadness. Rizer stood up and went over to Paradox. That's when I noticed that she was holding something in her arms.

"Paradox… What are you holding?" I asked her politely.

She was too busy crying to talk, so she showed me the item she was holding. It was a mask.

"Are you crying about that mask?" I asked her, "Why would you be crying about that? It's just a normal mask with the design of a skull and-"

I stopped speaking, as I realized what I was looking at. I quickly grabbed the mask from her and examined it carefully. Every detail was just like how I created it to be. The small crack that cuts across the right eye as well as intricate patterns engraved on the forehead.

"It looks just like it, doesn't it Violet-san?" Paradox cried.

I heard rustling behind me and noticed that the NPC has gotten up. He quickly ran past us and headed to the bridge. Rizer was about to give chase but I stopped him in his tracks.

"It's fine Rizer. Let him run away." I told him, "We may not have gotten an answer from him directly, but at least we have one here. This might actually be the best answer we can get. This mask belongs to Cloud's friend. Paradox had ripped it off of him before he ran away. I made a mask identical to this for Mortifer. It is one of a kind."

"S-So what you're saying is…" Rizer stuttered.

"Yes… That man who ran away… It's Mortifer." I beamed, "It has to be him. Only Mortifer can run at that speed, and only he wears a mask as edgy as this."

I refused to believe Mortifer was dead. Now I have evidence that he is still alive. I need to believe that the person was indeed Mortifer and not someone else. I need to do it for the sake of my heart and sanity. I can't imagine losing Mortifer a second time.


	10. Chapter 9: The Darkness Blade

**(Mortifer)**

 **August 2023, 28th Floor Wolf Plains**

Of all people, I let Paradox catch me off guard. I'm not trying to belittle her, but her stealth skills are even lower than Rizer's. How could I let her sneak up on me like that? That one mistake costed me my mask as well as my identity. The chances of them believing me to be somebody else is slim to none, especially for Violet who is probably wanting to believe that I'm alive and well.

Nonetheless, I still needed to focus on training. Ever since the day we visited the Island, we've trained non-stop. It was only a few months ago when I was level forty-eight. I'm now level sixty-seven, and quite possibly the highest leveled person in the game, except for maybe one certain player.

Right now, Cloud and I are currently in the Wolf Plains, killing as many wolves as possible before moving onto a different field. I finished off the _Blood Wolf_ I was fighting and my  One-Handed Sword finally leveled up. Seven-hundred-fifty out of one thousand. I am a quarter way till I finally Complete the skill.

"Congrats on the achievement. How are your other skills doing?" Cloud asked me as he finished off his current foe.

"I don't know. Let me check."

I opened up my menu and accessed my Skills panel. One-Handed Sword at seven-hundred. Martial Arts is at five-hundred, halfway to six. Battle Healing at a solid six hundred. My Parry is even higher than my One-Handed Sword, all the way up to nine hundred. However, I have two skills that are even higher than that. Both my Acrobatics and Sprint were Complete.

I don't exactly remember when I completed those skills since they were so easy to complete. Sprint was easily maxed out since I used my speed bug and ran from Panareze to the Edge of the World in one go. I would collapse right away from exhaustion. By the time I wake up almost an hour later, Cloud would be there to help me up.

I continued to look at my other skills and noticed something strange. My Hiding, Straining, and Searching skills were all maxed out. I was flustered since I haven't used them in such a long time, nor bothered improving them by doing the stealth quests. The last time I checked, they were barely past five hundred. What the hell happened?

That's when I noticed something odd. At the very bottom of the Skills menu, I would usually find my Crafting skill there. I always placed it at my last Skill Slot since I find it useless. But now, instead of seeing Crafting, I saw something else. A Skill Slot with a black, opaque rectangle instead of the usual grey, translucent one. It had a sword wrapped in black tendrils as its symbol. The name of the skill, is Darkness Blade.

"Cloud… Have you seen this before?" I asked him, pointing at the odd skill.

"Darkness Blade?" Cloud mused, "I've never heard of it nor seen it. Being a combat NPC, I am equipped with all combat-related skills in the game, even if I only use a handful of them. If it isn't a combat skill, then it must be a supportive skill. No wait…"

"Something wrong?" I asked him.

"Select the skill and read its description for a second." He told me. I did what I was told and he observed my screen, "Yes, this icon right here tells me that it is a combat skill. Since it is something I've never seen before, then it must mean that the Darkness Blade is an Extra Skill. More specifically, a Unique Skill."

A Unique Skill? For me? I find it absurd that me of all people would get one. It is extremely rare to get a Unique Skill since only one player can obtain that type of skill. That one player must meet the requirements for such a skill and they will be awarded. The only Unique Skill I knew about before this one, is something called the Holy Sword.

The person who has earned the Holy Sword is a man called Heathcliff. He happens to be the leader of the strongest guild in the game, the _Knights of the Blood Oath_. The skill is rumored to give him maximum _STR_ and _VIT_ , giving him the highest offense and defense of any player in the game. It is quite possible the most overpowered skill you can ever think of. And yet here I am, with a newly discovered Unique Skill. I looked at my skill and began reading the description of its abilities.

" _In the timeth at which hour nay lighteth shouldst toucheth thy soul, thou shalt beest given the power of the dark to destroyeth thine enemies…_ Did they really have to write this in Shakespeare?" I complained to Cloud.

"What is Shakespeare?" he asked me back. What am I doing… Of course NPCs don't know what Shakespeare is…

" _When thou hath reached the limits to thy corse, thee will be consumed by the darkness and eradicate all enemies. Blood shalt staineth thy eyes and thy mind shall not knoweth the difference between cousin or foe…_ "

"What weird language is this written in?" Cloud asked.

"It's English, more specifically Old English." I told him, "Basically, it just said that whenever my soul isn't touched by light, I get the power of the darkness. When I'm reaching the limits of my body, I will be consumed by the darkness and will kill everyone. I will also not be able to tell the difference between friend or foe."

"Well then… That sounds unpleasant…" Cloud muttered, "At least the rest is in a language I understand."

I began reading the bonuses that the skill gave me and soon started regretting my statement that Holy Sword is overpowered. The _Darkness Blade_ is truly the real definition of overpowered.

" _Hiding_ , _Straining_ , and _Searching_ are maxed out. _STR_ attribute raised by one hundred. _DEX_ attribute raised by fifty. _PER_ attribute raised by two hundred." Cloud read from the small screen.

"Explains why those three skills were Completed. So my strength is raised up by a hundred. My dexterity is increased by fifty, and finally my perception decided to take steroids and got raised by two hundred. No wonder why everything seemed so much easier for the past few days." I mused.

"You also get something called the _Cloak of Darkness_. It says that you can hide from everything for one minute. You can only do this once a day though." Cloud added in. He then pointed at a different bonus, "This one here is called the _Yami no Saji_ , or _Surge of Darkness_. This seems to be the thing they were referring to in the description. The one about your health dropping low and losing control."

"I'm not too fond of that one. What happens if I make a mistake and drop into the red zone? Will it trigger and cause me to go on a rampage? Furthermore, can the game even do that to me? Make me lose control?"

"I have no information of such complex stuff." Cloud stated. He then pointed to one final bonus "This one is called _The End_. There is a lock next to it, meaning you must be a certain level before you are able to do anything with it."

"I seriously hope it's nothing related to me dying… I don't plan on dying anytime soon."

"We will figure it out eventually. Let's finish training, you are almost ready to face this dungeon." Cloud declared.

I closed my menu and the two of us started walking to our next location. Even though I just said that I won't be dying anytime soon, something told me that when I do figure out what _The End_ is, I will be facing my fate. I just hope that it isn't a bad one.

 **A few weeks later**

The hearth of the fire was littered with pieces of charcoal which eventually fades away after sometime if not picked up. The fire continued to burn brightly for sometime before needing to refuel it with more wood. From time to time, an ocean breeze would blow into the cave, blowing the fire out. It forced Cloud to make a makeshift barrier so he wouldn't have to struggle in relighting it.

Because I had obtained an abundant amount of wolf hide from the wolves in the Wolf Plains, I created a sleeping bag for the both of us. I managed to regain my Crafting skill which thankfully kept its stats. It disappeared on me when I discovered Darkness Blade, making me worry since I had spent so much time and effort on that skill.

Using the excess firewood, I had created an old game I used to play as a child. It was known as Reversi when it first came out, but it turned into Othello when it was introduced and marketed in Japan. The simple rules allowed Cloud to be able to play the game almost immediately.

Usually NPCs can't learn how to do things and rely on information they already have and rely on that. Cloud however proves me wrong everytime. Of the twenty times we have played, he's won eight of them. Right now however, I've put Cloud in a tough spot. He then leaned back and flipped his disc to me.

"Ah, I give up. You win this round." Cloud said as he lied down on his sleeping bag.

"I'm surprised you managed to learn the game so quickly, though I may have just been rusty. I haven't played the game in more than seven years anyway." I admitted.

"Hey Mortifer. Go and take the day off tomorrow. Go visit your friends"

"Seriously?" I asked him, completely flustered, "What's with the sudden break?"

"This will be the last time you will see them for a long time." Cloud started, "As you already know, the dungeon we are entering is very difficult, so caution is a must when inside it. There are four different levels in the dungeon, each getting increasingly harder. Each floor has a boss room, which takes a week or more to get to. We will be in that dungeon for more than a month depending on the floor's geography and bosses."

"The dungeon is that long?" I exclaimed, "How is it that this dungeon hasn't been found by anybody?"

"It is located underground behind a camouflaged rock. At first sight, it looks like a hill. Once you get closer however, you can see the hole which the rock is covering. We can worry about that later. For now, you must rest. Please take the day off tomorrow and visit your friends. I assure you that you are going to need

"Will you be coming with me?" I asked him. He shook his head no in response.

"I will be resting here in the cave as well." Cloud replied. He then stood up and prepared his bed. He got inside his sleeping bag and lied back down, "I'll be going to sleep now. You should too…"

It didn't take long before I began hearing his snores. The NPC was fast asleep in a matter of seconds, which I envied greatly. I observed the fire for a little bit when I heard rocks falling from outside. I stood up and walked out of the cave. I scanned the area but saw nothing. Was it just my imagination? Quite possibly…

I walked back inside and lied down on my own sleeping bag. I stared at the rocky ceiling for a long time before drowsiness hit my eyes. I then closed my eyes and rolled up into a fetal position to maintain my warmth. I then fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

 **The next morning, the Island**

I woke up fairly early in the morning in order to watch over my friends for as long as possible. I had left the Edge of the World when it was still dark out. By the time I got to the Island however it's close to sunrise. I then decided to hide myself on top of the same tree Cloud and I hid in when we first started. It has grown much bigger since the last time we were here and so have the trees in the grove.

At the moment, Violet is the only one I can see right now. Paradox and Rizer must still be sleeping, or they are just inside and out of my sight. Regardless, Violet is doing the same thing she was doing when I visited her almost two months ago. She just sat on the front porch, holding my mask in her hands. She kept looking at the bridge, hoping to see me walking there. I honestly wish I could show myself to her, but I can't show myself to her just yet. Not until I finish this quest with Cloud.

I continued to look around the Island and scanned the tree grove. The man-made river is done. The grave that sat on the base of the biggest tree is now gone, probably since they don't think I am dead anymore. There is also a new cobblestone path which was bordered with small white flowers. The path connected the bridge, the house, the forge, and part of the tree grove. Even with all these new beautiful additions, the Island remained in a gloomy state. I continued to stare at the tree grove when I heard the sound of a door opening.

I looked over to see Rizer and Paradox walk out, still drowsy from their sleep. The two of them noticed Violet who continued to stare at the bridge. For a while, the two just stared at her before Rizer decided to break the awkward silence.

"Hey Violet, have you eaten already?" he asked her.

"No… I didn't feel like eating…" she responded.

"Even if it only satisfies our hunger in-game and not real life, you should at least eat something. Here, I'll cook for us." Rizer proposed, making Violet laugh.

"No, you're right. I should at least eat something. Don't worry about the meal either. I'll go inside now and prepare it…"

Violet stood up, still holding my mask, and entered the house. Rizer and Paradox followed her inside and the door closed behind them. Through the window, I could see them sitting themselves on the couch while Violet headed to the kitchen to prepare their meal.

A cool wind breezed past my face, pushing the branches ever so slightly. The sky turned into a scarlet red as the sun finally appeared in the horizon. The flowers of the tree opened its petals as the suns rays shone down upon it. I have never noticed these flowers before. Probably because the last time I was up here, it was already daytime so these flowers were already blooming. At least now I get to experience these flowers blooming in the dawn.

 **(Violet)**

 **Many hours later, Sunset**

It's been one month since I saw the phantom of a person I deeply care about. Almost four months since the time I thought I had lost him. Rizer and Paradox have been searching everywhere for Mortifer. They've spent a quarter of our total money just buying information about any that could help.

The only thing we got however is that there have been two people who have been travelling all around Aincrad, taking all of the farming spots that even the Front Lines monopolize. They have become a problem since many players in the Front Lines aren't getting any stronger with all of the monsters being from them.

Furthermore, the description of the two players accurately fit what I remembered them to be. A man with spiky blonde hair and a giant sword, as well as his partner who wears a cloak and hood and runs at mach speed. They couldn't get anymore solid information since the witnesses would say that they would disappear into thin air, like ghosts. They would never teleport away or else they would usually see a flash of light. Not one person has figured out their location either.

As I continued listening to the sound of Rizer polishing our weapons, I saw someone walking in the distance on the bridge. Seeing her long brown hair flowing in the wind and the basket of flowers she held in her arms, I knew it was Paradox. She went to Panareze to buy flowers from different places in Aincrad. She always carries a _Teleport Crystal_ so she won't be captured like last time. She goes to buy flowers once every two weeks but this time, there was someone with her.

The person wore a hood and cloak so I couldn't see them just yet. The person was cloaked and wore a hood. At first I thought it was Mortifer but I then noticed that the person was too small to be him, as they stood the same height as Paradox. I stood up and started walking towards them. Rizer noticed me do this and followed.

The two of us waited at the end of the bridge for Paradox and the cloaked person, who walked at a painfully slow pace. When they finally got to us, the person raised their hood to reveal a familiar face. The cat-like markings on her cheek gave it away completely. It was Argo, the _Rat_.

"Argo? What are you doing here?" I asked her, "If it's something to do with the Front Lines or _The Army_ then I am going to have to decline. Even if we wanted to participate in a boss fight, we are not equipped to do so."

"Relax, I'm not here for that kind of stuff. In fact, I'm here to help you." Argo responded with a smile.

"Help us with what exactly?" I asked her.

"Help you find Mortifer."

 **A few minutes later**

We were now inside the house, sitting on the couch. Argo sat on the sofa opposite to the one I was sitting on. Paradox was in the kitchen making herself a snack while Rizer simply leaned on the wall, keeping his eye on Argo. Argo took an apple from the fruit basket placed on top of the table between us and bit into.

"I'm fully aware that you guys already know the basic stuff." Argo spoke as she munched on the apple loudly, "Two players have been monopolizing all of the farming spots all over Aincrad, even the ones on the lower floors. Nobody can ever get a closer look since the two players would just disappear like ghosts. Most people believe it to be rumors but the Front Lines are getting devastated from the lack of monsters. That's why I decided to go look for these people."

"What did you find then?" Rizer asked her impatiently.

"I found a hidden cave somewhere. I walked inside and noticed two sleeping bags as well as a fire that still had charcoal beneath it. I was curious so I waited all day on a nearby mountain cliff to see if anybody would go in there. That's when I saw two people hike up the side of the mountain and enter the cave. Both of them fit the description of the rumored ghosts. I managed to get close enough to their cave to hear their conversations. I forgot most of what they said, but I do remember the names they addressed each other with."

At that moment, I stood straight up and slammed my hands on the table, making Paradox and Rizer jump in shock. The fruit basket got launched upwards and landed softly on Argo's lap, who took a banana and began to peel it.

"The names they used… What were their names?!" I quickly asked her.

"I heard Cloud and Mortifer. From what I recall, Mortifer is that friend of yours, right?" she asked me.

I ignored her question as I was too focused on the names she just uttered. Mortifer is alive, and Argo knows where he is! With this, I can go search for him and bring him back to the Island.

"Well, when I did hear the name Mortifer, I came looking for you guys. I ran into Paradox on my way here. She's a new member or something?" Argo asked me another question.

"Yes she's new. Now tell us, when did this happen?" Rizer demanded.

"It was only yesterday when I found that cave." Argo stated as she continued eating the banana, "In fact, that Cloud guy told Mortifer that he should visit you guys tomorrow, which is today. Because you know, he told him that yesterday. You get what I mean!"

"Argo, where is this cave that you found? Please tell me!" I pleaded. Instead of giving me an answer, she instead reached her hand out.

"I have given you guys too much information for free already. Since I know that the location of this cave is important to you, I am now charging you guys for it."

My ecstasy faded almost immediately. Although it is a bit cruel to suddenly charge us for information, it is how things work for an information-dealer. And I am fully aware that information about things is costly here in SAO, especially farming spots. Although we spent so much time farming, we have blown all of that money on house renovations. Ever since Mortifer left, we haven't kept up with our usual schedule and so we are running dry on Cor.

"How much?" I asked her nervously.

"Hmm… How about one-hundred-thousand Cor?" Argo proposed with a grin.

Paradox, who was in the kitchen, soundedly dropped a plate after hearing the money Argo wanted. Rizer punched the wall a bit too hard and created a dent in it that has to be fixed. He then sat down by the dining table and buried his head in his arms. I simply stood there, with my mouth wide open.

"We don't have that kind of money right now…" Rizer mumbled from across the room, "We already spent our money on other leads and base renovations."

"Oh, well that's too bad." Argo replied, pulling out a _Teleport Crystal_ , "Unless you can pay me that sum, I can't give you the location. You're just going to have to find it yourself or get enough money to pay me later on."

Right before she spoke the words to teleport out of our base, a brilliant yellow flash came from outside, followed by a loud boom. Everyone jumped from the loudness of it. The fruit basket on Argo's lap flew off and spilled all of its contents around the living room.

"Someone must've been spying on us…" Rizer whispered quietly.

We all went outside and unsheathed our weapons. We went down the steps and noticed a crater that ruined the cobblestone path Paradox had spent forever making. She ran over to the crater and observed the damage. The cobblestone crumbled to dust which then turned into pixels and disappeared.

"That took me some time to get all the way from the 17th Floor too…" Paradox moped.

"Sorry about that." A voice came from the house. We all turned around to see who was eavesdropping on us, but we saw nothing. However, the voice that spoke just now sounded so close and familiar.

"Show yourself!" Argo yelled.

"I am showing myself to you guys right now." The voice spoke, but this time it came from a different place.

We turned towards the origin of the sound and looked upon a hooded figure standing by the bridge. He wore a cloak that waved in the wind and a hood that covered his face. He held something in his hand which he raised up for everyone to see.

"Thank you for the mask!" he thanked us.

My eyes grew wide and I reached for my belt, which is the last place I had put Mortifer's mask. My hand touched nothing but air as the mask was now gone. But when did he take it? He couldn't have gone next to me and taken it, or else all of us would've seen him move.

"This mask is very precious to me. Someone I care about made it for me. Here is my payment to you for returning my mask!" the man shouted.

He threw a fairly large draw-string bag with one hand over to us. It landed with a thud and spilled its contents due to it containing more than it could handle. Hundreds of pieces of gold Cor spilled onto the ground, making all of us widen our eyes in disbelief. There is at least five-hundred-thousand Cor in that bag! I quickly ran over to the bag and began picking up coins to pay Argo for information. I gave her what she wanted and she smiled greedily.

I looked back to the hooded man who was busy putting on his mask. He looked at me for quite a bit before he started to slowly walk away. His body then started to get into the position of a sprint but I stopped him with a very loud shout.

"Hey, wait! Can you at least give me your name?!"

The man stopped moving and turned his head around. Nobody talked or moved a muscle for a good minute. The silhouette of the man started shaking, and that's when I noticed he was actually laughing.

"My name?" he laughed out, "Even if I didn't tell you my name Violet, you would still want to believe that I am him."

The man ran away in lightning speed. His afterimage could still be seen on the bridge even though he was already in the forest. All my doubts have been cleared with his response to my question. He said that because he wanted me to find him, and I swear on my life that I will. No matter what the cost is.

"Rizer, Paradox. Get your things ready. We're leaving the Island sunrise tomorrow." I told them. I then turned to Argo who was still admiring the money I had given her. I grabbed her collar and pulled her to me, "I payed you the money, and I expect you to hold up your end of the deal. If you lied to me about knowing where he is staying, then you best be prepared to for a death sentence."

 **(Mortifer)**

 **September 1st 2023**

"Hey, Mortifer wake up." Cloud whispered as he shook me awake, "Get ready, we're leaving."

"Where are we going?" I yawned.

"We're going to the dungeon that we have been training for. It's time." He said. I was stunned by his words.

"N-Now? Why so sudden? You really think I am ready?" I asked him.

"Well after we discovered your Darkness Blade skill, I thought that you won't need to train to the point I want you to be at." Cloud explained, "The fact that the Darkness Blade gives you more power in darkness means that the geography of the cave would prove to be very useful to you. And although we haven't really gotten the chance to test it out, that _Yami no Saji_ skill of yours could prove to be quite useful if you find yourself in a hot spot."

"My _Cloak of Darkness_ could be useful too." I added in, "I tested my _Cloak of Darkness_ for the first time yesterday on my friends. I stood a meter away from them but they didn't even notice me. I made noises too to see if it only affects sight, but it seems it affects sound as well."

"Then it would prove to be more than enough to deal with blind enemies that rely on sound. However, you can only use once a day." Cloud pointed out. I sighed as he pointed out a sad disadvantage about the ability. That's when I noticed something crucial.

"If I was given the Darkness Blade because of the evil inside of my heart, then won't that mean I will lose it once I finish this quest?" I asked him. Cloud thought about it but shrugged his shoulders.

"I have never had a Unique Skill, and because it is a Unique Skill, it can't be removed like other skills. Once you meet the requirements needed for an Extra Skill or Unique Skill, you basically keep it forever."

I nodded my head in agreement, yet I was still worried. Yes, I want to rid my heart from darkness and these Voices, but I also don't want to give up this skill of mine, even if this _Yami no Saji_ will prove troublesome if I accidentally drop into the red zone.

"Alright. Let's go to the dungeon then." I told Cloud.

The man snuffed out the fire with one swing of his sword. The air pressure extinguished the flame, leaving behind small embers that couldn't fully ignite. We rolled up our sleeping bags and placed them at our regular sleeping places. Cloud motioned for me to follow him and I did so reluctantly.

 **(Violet)**

 **A few hours later**

"Ugh, how much more do we have to climb?" Paradox exclaimed, "This mountain is killing me!"

She and Rizer were both crawling on the ground, completely exhausted from hiking up the steep mountain. Rizer, who had been carrying all of our equipment voluntarily, is just about ready to pass out from exhaustion.

"We're here!" Argo beamed. She ran up the path and disappeared out of our sights. I followed her up and had my breath taken away at the view.

We were standing on a cliff side, overlooking the ocean which fell into the abyss below. The cliff towered almost one hundred meters above the ocean. Jagged rocks jutted out from the ocean right below at the base of the cliff. The ocean breeze felt pleasant and relaxing, but it was still fairly cold for summer weather.

Behind us was the cave, which Argo had already entered. Rizer and Paradox finally made it up the mountain and collapsed to the ground. I giggled at them before walking into the cave. The first thing I saw was Argo kneeling on the ground in front of me. I observed her expression, which held disbelief and so I looked at the rest of the cave in front of me.

Two sleeping bags located on opposite sides of the room were neatly rolled into a bundle. A small pile of burnt wood and charcoal lied in between the two bags. Except for the sleeping bags and the firewood, there was no sign of anybody ever going into this cave. Rizer and Paradox walked in and also noticed the rather empty cave.

"T-They must probably be farming right now. Y-Yeah!" Argo stuttered, "I mean, that's why the rumors have spread about them, because they were farming, you know?"

Argo was scared that I was going to kill her. To be honest, I probably would've if she didn't give me a good reason as to why the cave is currently empty. It is true that Mortifer and Cloud have been out taking all of the possible farming places. God knows when they will return to this place.

"We'll wait here for three days. If nobody shows up by the time limit, then a certain info-dealer is going to take a beating from me…"

 **(Mortifer)**

Just as how Cloud explained it to be, the dungeon was underground. The entrance was so perfectly concealed behind a huge boulder that I doubt I would've found it without Cloud's help. This dungeon isn't too far from the cave either, but it is very well-hidden. The giant boulder blocking the entrance took us about an hour to move, as it was too big to simply destroy using _Embracer_ or a Sword Skill utilizing Cloud's sword.

Upon entering the now open cave, I was greeted by the most putrid stench I've ever smelled. I ran back out of the cave and took a deep whiff of the fresh air. I almost puked just now, which is rare since my sense of smell is pretty bad compared to my other senses. It smells a whole bunch of animals walked in there and died, leaving behind rotting corpses.

"Yes, I'm sorry for not mentioning the odor of the cave. It will only be for the entrance, so do not fear." Cloud stated, relieving me a bit, "As for what is ahead of us, the cave will split into two directions, leading to two different sections of the dungeon. As I explained before, there are four different floors with bosses at the end. Each boss is different and is based on the challenger's personality"

I shuddered at the thought of the bosses I will be facing. Will it be something that puts my aggressive attack style at a disadvantage, or something completely different. I looked at Cloud and examined his body for a bit. Obviously things that would counter Cloud are ranged and area-of-effect attacks since you can't easily dodge or block those.

"To enter the boss room, both players will have to be in front of the door. We will know when both of us have reached the place when our doors glow a slight blue. And in order to go to the next floor, the both of us must defeat our designated boss. If one of us fails, the other will be teleported back out the dungeon. We won't be able to directly communicate with each other until we reunite at the fourth level of this dungeon."

Alone for almost a month. Furthermore, I will most likely be trapped in the darkest and most dangerous cave I've ever entered in both the digital world and the real one. The sad thing is, I'm pretty sure Violet will be visiting me today since I gave her enough money to pay Argo for information. Nonetheless, I can't turn back now.

"Are you sure you want to do this Mortifer?" Cloud suddenly asked me.

I turned around and looked at him, bewildered. What kind of question is that supposed to be? I've been training my butt off to prepare for this dungeon, but now he wants to know if I'm ready for this even though he is the one who said I am ready in the first place.

"Of course I want to do this. I need to do this. Are you suddenly doubting my chances of survival?!" I exclaimed, irritated from his question.

"Once we go our separate ways, the tunnel will collapse behind us. We can go back using Teleport Crystals either, as they are disabled. Other than that, the only other way is for one of us to die. That is the reason why I am asking you this question now. Are you truly ready?"

Cloud said this a very serious, and deadly voice. His last statement told me the reason why he asked me that question. He is an NPC. A non-playable-character who will respawn once they die. On the other hand, I am a player stuck inside Sword Art Online. If I die here, then I will also perish in the real world. Cloud has unlimited lives, while I am stuck with just one. Even so…

"Yes… I am sure that I want to keep going…" I declared.

Cloud's eyes briefly showed pain. The pain of losing someone close to him. A tear began welling up in his eyes but he quickly wiped it away before it would stream down his cheek.

"I'll see you in a month or so then, at the fourth level…" Cloud muttered as he walked to his side of the cave. Before he got too far however, I stopped him.

"Cloud… You have lost people before me, haven't you?" I asked him with a serious tone, "Your eyes just now showed it. The pain of losing a friend or someone close to you to something terrible. But it's more than that, isn't it?"

Cloud slowly turned around. His fists were clenched in anger. His expression gave off fury, yet I could still see sorrow in his eyes.

"You lost someone you loved, didn't you? Was it this Sephiroth who killed her?"

Instead of getting the answer I wanted, Cloud rushed over to me and pinned me down on the ground, putting the tip of his giant sword against my neck. His expression no longer showed anger, but complete despair and sorrow. At that moment, I completely forgot he was an NPC, as his tears looked too real.

"Your face reveals everything Cloud. I'm sorry that you had to go through such pain. I'm sorry that you lost someone close to you. Maybe even more than one person…"

Cloud began bawling and he dropped his sword. I sat up and comforted him. It was like this for a few minutes. During that whole time, I patted his back while he cried in his arms. He went silent for a few more minutes before he finally managed to speak.  
"He… Was my idol…" he muttered.

"Who was your idol?" I questioned him as he never said.

"Sephiroth… He is the reason why I became a warrior." Cloud answered, making my mind go blank.

"He was your idol? I thought he was your worst enemy."

"He is, but before all of this happened, I admired him, like many other people who wanted to become warrior. After all, he was regarded as the most famous and experienced soldier at that time. Upon thinking that his mother was an alien, he turned to the dark side. He followed his mother's path in conquering the planet. He destroyed my home village and killed the woman I loved. He still resides inside of me, making me terrible things. I am here so that I can forcible remove him from me. That's why I need you Mortifer…"

His story is intriguing, and very sad. I felt bad for him since my story is not as tragic as his. If I ever get out of this game alive, I swear that I will learn more about Cloud's story since I know he came from something in the real world. An old video game is what I think it was, but I can't really remember.

"Come on, let's go get rid of Sephiroth and end this, once and for all." I encouraged him.

He nodded and picked up his sword. He stood straight up and we walked to opposite sides of the dungeon. I entered the tunnel and so did he. I took about fifteen steps when the dungeon started shaking violently. Behind me, the light coming from outside disappeared as the big boulder rolled itself back into place. My tunnel's entrance then collapsed, making a solid wall that I can not pass.

Even though there is no longer any light, I continued walking forward fearlessly. The tunnel soon began glowing brighter with no real source of light coming from anywhere. When I turned around to look back, I then noticed that the rock wall is still there, but it looked more natural than the one that collapsed. Am I in a new room or something?

I suddenly heard a deep croaking and pulled out my sword. I scanned my dark surroundings and saw numerous glowing red eyes staring right at me. I held my sword firmly in my hands and approached the red eyes which are now giving off a hostile vibe. Using up all the courage and fighting spirit I could muster, I charged straight to the monsters that awaited me.

/

/

/

Regarding the part where there is Shakespearean English, pretend that the whole story is written in Japanese and that most characters only understand Japanese. That section is written in Old English, which Mortifer then translates roughly to Cloud as he is only implemented with the Japanese Language.

Anyways, sorry for making the last chapter so short. I made up for lack of words with this one, which apparently has a total of almost 7k words. The smallest chapter is "The Island" chapter which only has 2k words. It throws me off sometimes when I make some chapters just unbelievably short like "The Island".

Also, the upcoming chapters will be rather boring (even I am getting bored of reading and writing them). You can honestly skip the next chapters up until Chapter 16 as they are boring. However, by skipping these chapters, you will miss an important plot point in the story. You're choice.

Furthermore, the Darkness Blade is an actual Unique Skill that has been confirmed by Reki Kawahara, but the skill's description, capabilities, effects, etc. are all created by me. I'm just trying to make the edgiest skill possible to fit in with the story and my personal likes (a bit selfish but whatever).

Good bye now!


	11. Chapter 10: The Darkness Within

**(Violet)**

 **Three days later**

This is the third day of Argo's time limit. During that whole time, we have not seen any living creature except for ourselves. Rizer even started searching around for other caves with Paradox in case they happened to move locations. After searching for the whole day today, the two of them have found no caves around this area except for the one we've been waiting in.

"I'm tired of waiting. We've seen nothing for the past three days. Can we just kill her tomorrow morning if Mortifer doesn't show up?" Rizer complained as he glared at Argo who cowered in the farthest corner of the cave.

Instead of answering, I instead walked out of the cave. The ocean breeze felt pleasant against my face. My cloak flailed in the wind violently while I stared at the setting sun. A small rainbow formed at the place where the water falls due to the mist it creates at the sudden drop. The colorful arc looked like a doorway leading into the unknown world.

I began thinking about Rizer's request. Killing is not my thing, but I obviously won't let Argo run away unharmed if she lied to us. But something still felt off. The man who gave us the five-hundred-thousand Cor, who I am assuming is Mortifer, wouldn't just give us that much money just so we can find out what this cave Argo is talking about. No, it is because this cave is the right cave. Realizing this, I ran back inside the cave.

"Paradox, wake up! I need to talk about something." I said, shaking her awake.

"Oh… It's only been thirty minutes since I started my nap…" Paradox whined, "All that searching and hiking made me exhausted… Can I please sleep some more?"

"Ugh, fine… Do whatever you want." I told her. She lied back down on the sleeping bag that was already here and fell back to sleep.

"What is it you want to talk about Violet?" Rizer questioned me.

"It's about Mortifer and Cloud. I don't think they will be coming here, and it's not because this is the wrong cave. This must be the right cave, or else that man who gave us money would never have given us the money if he knew it was false information."

"What if that man purposely did that to give us false hope, or trick us into waiting this long?" Rizer asked, glaring at Argo.

"If that man who gave us money is truly Mortifer, then it is not like him to simply trick us like that. He isn't that cruel."

"I-I actually have a theory…" Argo mumbled from across the cave. We both looked at her questioningly, "So you know how there were rumors about those two taking up all of the experience that the people in the Front Lines badly need? Well, I just remembered something about their conversation that night I discovered this cave. The Cloud person said something about being inside a dungeon that will take forever. Maybe they are inside that dungeon right now?"

"Do you know where this dungeon is?" Rizer asked the Rat.

"I know I heard them say that it wasn't too far from this cave, but that's all I remember from their conversation." Argo explained.

"Then it's settled." I said, clapping my hands together, "All of us will search for this hidden dungeon. If it's nearby, then we will search in two-kilometer radius from this cave. We won't stop looking until we've searched every detail of this mountainous terrain and the forest at the bottom of it."

"Actually…" Argo began, "I think I can help you guys with that."

 **Three days later**

It has been six days since we left the Island to go to this cave, and it has been two days since we started searching for Mortifer. In order to speed up the process, Argo proposed a plan that we all agreed on. The plan was to advertise Mortifer's disappearance throughout all of Aincrad. Utilizing the four-hundred-thousand Cor we had left, we set bounties on both Mortifer and Cloud's head.

Mortifer had a bounty of a quarter-million Cor. Cloud had a bounty of one-hundred-thousand. We also set a lower price for finding the dungeon which we believe they are in. Finding this hidden cave only yields fifty-thousand Cor. We're using up all the money we had to attract players into helping us find them. Setting a low bounty wouldn't attract to much people, making our efforts go to waste.

Argo posted flyers around the busiest parts of Aincrad that tells other players about this search and to report to the Edge of the World if they want to help. Many players have come in such a short notice that I was caught off-guard on the first day. Now, to help them find Mortifer, I made rough sketches of his masked face as well as Cloud's. We also told them that the dungeon isn't too far from here, if what Cloud said is true.

Over one-hundred players are currently searching for clues, including us. Although we have this many players searching around this floor and the region around this cliffside cave, we haven't gotten any clues. Some people have formed search parties to make searching more efficient. We ask them to report back to us and tell us areas they've searched so we can mark it on our map.

"No sign of Mortifer nor Cloud." Rizer muttered, "You said that Cloud told Mortifer this dungeon they will be going in takes more than a month to finish right? A dungeon like that would be the size of this floor, yet why is it that we haven't found anything this entire time?"

"If it really is the size of an entire floor, then it has to be underground." Argo stated, "Anything above ground would've been seen by now. The space between the 23rd and the 24th Floors is tremendously greater than any other floors, so it would only make sense. Though if we don't find anything at all by the end of this month, I doubt the players will continue looking. They may assume this is just a ruse to make them waste time."

"It's like trying to find a needle in the haystack…" Paradox groaned as she rested her head on the makeshift table.

"It's only been two days. We can't have this mentality when we just started searching." I encouraged them, "Plus, none of the people working for us seems to be complaining at the moment, so we should at least be happy that they are trying their hardest."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. As that happened, a series of metallic knocks sounded from the entrance of the cave. The person's shadow could be seen against the cavern wall, which got increasingly smaller until the person finally came into view. It was a lone swordsman who wore a jet black coat. Looking at his face reminded me of Mortifer, making me smile a bit.

"Yo Violet! It's been a while!" Kirito greeted me with a smile, "I saw a bunch of flyers around the cities and stuff and so I came here. So Mortifer is missing?"

"Yes. He's been gone for over four months actually. There was an incident which made him go into hiding." I explained to Kirito.

"Have you not tried using your map? You guys have friended each other right? He should appear on your radar if you select his name." Kirito said while scratching in head in confusion.

"He doesn't show up on the map at all. We've tried with all of our maps since the three of us have him on our friends' list. Plus, his name is blackened out and has a line striking through it."

"Wait, doesn't black mean the person is dead?" Kirito asked, completely flustered.

"Well you see… We've been seeing some uncanny things lately." I told him, trying to sound sure of myself, "A very unique NPC that I've never seen before visited our home a while ago. The NPC is Cloud, which is the other person that we set a bounty on. He was asking us about Mortifer when a person suddenly fell out of a nearby tree. Both the NPC and the player quickly ran away, but we managed to obtain the player's mask. It was unmistakably Mortifer's mask, as I am the one who created it."

"Wait pause for just a second. You create masks?" Kirito questioned. A completely irrelevant question, yet I still answered.

"Yes I do. I also create the clothing of our group and design the armor Rizer creates for us." I responded to his question.

"Hey, do you think you can create a new coat for me? Ashley charges heavily and getting the materials are hard with all the monsters being taken away by someone mysterious."

"Okay, enough of this talk about clothes. Can we continue with the current situation?" Rizer grunted, silencing Kirito.

"Well as I was saying…" I began, "The mask is Mortifer's. The cloaked person came to our Island again a week ago and retrieved his mask, saying that it was his. At that time, we were talking to Argo, the Rat, who was busy telling us stuff about the two ghost players. The cloaked person revealed themself to us and gave us the money for this bounty hunt."

"Oh, so he's the one taking all of the monsters in all the farming grounds? Mortifer completely stopped our advance to the next floor because we haven't gotten enough experience to fight the boss yet. I'll beat him up once I find him. That is if I can ever find him…"

"Will you help us find him?" Paradox asked Mortifer's brother. Kirito looked at Paradox and scrunched his eyesbrows.

"Hm? You're a new member of their group?" Kirito asked her.

"Yes. My name is Paradox. I'm their alchemist, and trap-maker." Paradox explained.

"Your group has such variety…" Kirito mumbled, "Back to your question, no, I won't help you guys find him."

"W-Why?" Paradox exclaimed.

"I know Mortifer in the real world, and my relationship with him is not a good one. I don't care about him and he doesn't care about me. Everyone I know hates him, including his own family. If that's not the Mortifer you've been seeing, then he must be hiding his true self. Though it's still feasible that he had a change in heart. Well I couldn't care less. He's dead anyways."

His last statement stabbed me in the heart. Kirito noticed this right away and apologized by clapping his hands together and bowing.

"S-Sorry… I'll take my leave then." Kirito apologized.

The black swordsman left the cavern and the three of us were left alone. I walked back to the table and noticed Argo in the far corner of the room, blending in with the shadows. I had completely forgotten she was there. I'm surprised she didn't even speak a word, since I see her as the talkative type of person.

"Kii-bou has lost something recently as well." Argo spoke, "He was in a small guild. He only gave me the bare minimum, but he said that it was all his fault they had died. There was also a girl he was very close to."

Argo's information drastically changed the mood from a neutral one to one filled with sadness. Kirito did a good job hiding his grief since he talked to us casually. Is it because his hatred for Mortifer defeats his grief? I can't really tell, but it seems that the two brothers have both lost something important to them.

"The sun is going to set soon. Let's call it a day and recall all the search parties back." Rizer proposed.

I nodded my head in agreement, and so he and Argo began messaging the players to return to the cave. As they did that, I exited the cave and stood at the edge of the cliff. I sat down on the edge despite my slight fear of heights. I then looked at the part where the ocean falls once again.

"Mortifer… Where are you…"

 **(Mortifer)**

 **The next day**

Seven days of defeating monsters. Seven days of being completely exhausted. Seven days of using my Meditation skill just to keep my health at its maximum before every big fight, and make sure that I am still sane. I've barely gotten any sleep either since there are no Safe-Zone Areas where I can safely rest at.

I finished off the last of the humanoid giants I was currently battling. Even with it already being in the red-zone, it still took me forever to kill it as it had a high defense. The monsters here all have dark red Color Cursors, meaning that they are very difficult bosses. I've encountered one with a purple Color Cursor which means that is impossible for me to defeat no matter how hard I try. When I did find those, I simply ran away.

However, because of the high number of monsters I have slain, those purple-marked monsters have become dark red, and the dark reds have become reds. I should still be thankful for all the training Cloud had put me through. I would probably be dead if it weren't for my high level. Can I even consider it high if all the monsters are a higher level than me, save for a handful?

Nonetheless, I've been traveling in this dungeon for a week now. The isolation and darkness is making me fear what the next floors will be like and more specifically, the bosses. But, I finally found some form of hope that I've been searching for all this time. The boss room.

It looked like any ordinary boss room door: colossal and made of black steel. Even though it looks like it weighs a ton, the door is insanely easy to open. All it takes is a push with one hand and it opens fully. The only difference to this boss room door, is the area surrounding it. The walls were painted white and even the pathway leading to the door had white markings on it.

As I got closer however, I began to notice that the entire hallway has thousands of strands of white substance going from the ground to the ceiling. My view from before only made it look like they were walls. An even closer look and by stepping on the white strands, I determined the substance is very tough and sticky. I soon regretted trying to find out what the substance is, as I am now shaking in fear. The hallway and ground were covered in spider webs.

At that moment of realization, I began feeling a strange sensation, as if thousands of eyes were staring at me. My hunch was correct, as there were literally a thousand eyes staring right at me. Some of them moved around while others blinked. When I turned behind me, a dozen giant spiders already blocked my path back with a giant web.

My heart was pounding and the Voices began getting louder. My body shook in fear at the sight of the giant arachnids, and so I forced myself to calm down. I steadied my breathing and tunnel-visioned on the boss room door. I began approaching it and the door started glowing with a very faint and light blue. Remembering Cloud's words, it must mean that he too is at his door.

I put my hands on the door and lightly pushed it open. I took a few steps inside before the door closed behind me. The room was pitch black, blinding me from seeing anything. I cautiously moved forward, step by step until I eventually landed my foot on something sticky. Was it another web?

Suddenly, blue flames spontaneously burst out from torches all around me. It lit up the entire room, letting me see that the walls are literally made up of spider webs while the floor only had a few spots that had webbing. However, what worried me more is the fact that I couldn't see the boss anywhere.

I pulled on my leg to get my foot out of the web. It felt like it was stuck in place so I pulled even harder. When I did get free, I tripped on myself and fell face first onto another spider web. I tried rolling over, but the web stuck to me like glue. I struggled even harder until I began hearing weird clicking sounds all around me.

My body went on full alert mode as I felt adrenaline pump into my veins. I tried rolling over once again and finally managed to break free from the web's sticky grasp. I unsheathed my blade and scanned my surroundings. Dog-sized spiders crawled on the walls, making small noises. I still couldn't see the boss which worried me. That's when I realized my stupidity. Spiders can climb on all surfaces, even ceilings.

I looked up and saw a glowing red hourglass. It slightly shifted around, making abstract squishing noises that made me feel even more uncomfortable. One by one, red eyes began appearing on one side of the hourglass until I counted a total of nine. Those red eyes looked like they were gazing straight into my soul. My body began to shake even more due to my arachnophobia. I guess this is what Cloud meant when the dungeon varies from person to person.

The blue flames around the room burned even brighter, illuminating the entirety of the room, including the ceiling. I looked upon the body of a spider the size of a public bus. Its legs were sharper than that of a samurai's katana. Its mandibles were big enough to swallow an entire person whole. The red hourglass contrasted greatly from the sleek black body of the widow.

The boss let out a loud shriek and began rappelling downwards. I dove out of its way and avoided the huge impact the spider landed with. Still shaking in fear, I stared at the boss, whose name appeared above its nine glowing eyes. The Black Widow. Four health bars appeared beside the trite name as it let out a terrifying shriek.

My body shook uncontrollably, and I needed it to stop if I wanted to survive this boss fight. I calmed myself and stopped hyperventilating. I closed my eyes and began thinking to myself. _This is for Cloud. This is for my friends. It is only a bug. A small bug won't stop me._

I heard _The Black Widow_ shriek and start moving towards me with incredible speed. I opened my eyes and glared at the boss monster. Filled with courage and fortitude, I raised up my sword high in the air and charged at the eight-legged gargantuan arachnid.

/

/

/

Another short chapter. Technically this chapter was supposed to be split up into two chapters (crazy I know...) but I decided to combine them together as it was just too short to my liking. Expect more short, boring chapters coming. As I said, things will get interesting again at Chapter 14, or 15. I will say one thing though: a new original character will be introduced at Chapter 15, so expect another drawing posted on my Google+ sooner or later.

Good Bye!


	12. Chapter 11: To Kill a Bug

_"_ _It's just a tiny bug that's all. It won't hurt me!"_

This thought kept repeating in my head as I was trying to stop my body from shaking in fear. Ever since I was a kid, I've been deathly afraid of spiders. I was born with this arachnophobia much like other people. I believe I am the only one in my family who is afraid of spiders. Everyone else is afraid of snakes. My fear of these creepy crawlies got even stronger when… No, I shouldn't think of that… or else this situation will be even worse. If I so much as look away from the fight for one second, then I will surely be killed.

Based on boss fights I've done previously, monsters usually have an attack algorithm that they follow. This spider however has such a complex one, I can't fully remember all of its attacks and how it does them. I'm starting to think that it doesn't even have a set attack pattern that it follows. An advanced AI that adapts to the challenger's play style and uses it to come up with new attacks. Now that's scary.

Regardless, the spider's attacks aren't too powerful, even with its massive size. The Black Widows's defense is formidable indeed, but the only thing dangerous about it right now is its mandibles which are constantly trying to bite my head off. And as I continued to bring its health down bit by bit, its attacks began to slow.

Suddenly, hundreds of smaller spiders came out from the ceiling and started surrounding me. They weren't as big as the ones outside. Probably the size of the biggest spider in the real world. The one that eats birds. The Goliath Bird-Eating tarantula is what they are called if I remembered correctly. Even though there are hundreds of these guys around me, I was more afraid of the gigantic black widow spider in front of me.

I would ignore the smaller spiders and concentrate on fighting the boss. Whenever a spiderling would get too close to me, I either kick it away or simply kill it with one clean strike. I tried to do multiple things at the same time in order to get my adrenaline pumping. If I keep doing so, then I'll be able to ignore any irrelevant stimuli such as my arachnophobia. I seriously just hope this will be over soon.

 **Ten minutes later**

The boss is at its last health bar. It took way longer than I wanted, but I guess ten minutes is a standard for most MMORPG boss raids. However, I am also in a bad spot, as I am getting extremely fatigued. I'm a little bit below half of my maximum health, which is both surprising and dangerous. Surprising because I am soloing a boss. Dangerous because I may die or trigger the still unknown _Yami no Saji_.

Fortunately, the spiderlings all ran away, allowing me to fully concentrate on my main goal. The spider boss became more concentrated as well, slowly moving around cautiously instead of going on the offensive like it has been doing. The two of us circled around the room, waiting for the other to make a move, but neither of us did. However, by the time I realized what was going on, it was already too late.

My foot landed inside a small circle of web. The circular web wrapped tightly around my foot, and lifted me up into the air. I dropped my sword due to the velocity at which I was raised into the air. It was enough to make me slightly dizzy due to the sudden rush. I looked down and saw the reason the spider didn't make a move until now.

The path we took while circling around the room was covered with web. From up here, I can see the spider as it produces its spider silk from its behind. I followed the trail of web that it continued to leave behind and saw that it connects to the web which held me suspended in the air. The spider let out a shriek of accomplishment and slowly lowered me. Before I could even react, the spider quickly impaled me with its stinger, paralyzing my body with some neurotoxin.

The spider cut the web that suspended me and picked up my body with its eight legs. My mind started breaking down as I helplessly watched myself get cocooned. Not able to look away, I had to look at the grotesque sight of sticky webs coming out of the gargantuan's body. The adrenaline that helped me fight my phobia during the fight disappeared completely, leaving me to deal with my fear head on.

The spider wrapped up my legs completely but my arms were still somewhat free. Free enough for me to be able cut the web bindings if I get my hands on a weapon. However, none of that will happen if I'm paralyzed like this. The only problem is that I have no clue how long this paralysis will last. If the spider manages to cocoon my arms, then it's game over for me. Until then, I need to think up of ideas.

I closed my eyes and began searching through my head. Any information could be useful to me right now. MMORPG boss raid strategies. Survival tips. Arachnid science. I tried to remember things as fast as I could as I didn't have much time left. I became so focused on trying to escape, that I accidentally used my _Cloak of Darkness_ turning myself invisible.

The spider shrieked and dropped me on the ground. I landed on my butt, which was protected by a small layer of webbing, cushioning my fall. I looked at the spider who seemed to be scanning its surroundings. The spider crawled around the room, but didn't seem to detect me. Had it been smarter, it would've known I can't move. I guess this _Cloak of Darkness_ ability really is useful.

My one-minute timer for the ability started ticking, and the paralysis wore off on me, which relieved me completely. If that neurotoxin lasted any longer, I would be spider food. I quickly opened up my inventory and equipped a dagger. The dagger was nothing special, but I'm confident that it is enough to cut these web bindings. I started cutting through the web and my invisibility wore off.

I got my legs free from the sticky substance and faced the spider, who is now also facing to my direction. I spotted my sword under one of the spider's eight legs, lying there and building up dust. I was tempted to recklessly dive for it and kill the spider with one strike, but I knew that not even I can do that. I held the small dagger in my hand, planning to use it to fight instead of using my bare hands. I began circling the room again and the spider followed.

While we did this, I kept moving closer and closer to my fallen sword. I glanced at it to see that I could make a safe run for it. However, the spider seemed to notice where my eyes were gazing at, and ran back to the sword. It stood right on top of my sword, right below its abdomen. The level of intelligence this monster has is far greater than anything I've ever faced. Its eight glowing eyes is also playing a role in helping its awareness… Wait, that's it… The eyes!

I held the dagger by the blade now and concentrated on my aim. I haven't spent a Skill Slot on Blade Throwing which means that this won't do so much, but it is the only plan that I've come up with. Using all my strength and technique, I threw the dagger straight to the spider's head. It found its mark on one of the eight red eyes the spider has. The spider shrieked and crawled around in rage. One down, seven more to go.

I materialized a whole bunch of random items I picked up during my time here. Usually it is rare to get item drops from monsters, but the monsters here seem to disobey the rules of SAO. Although, the items they do drop are worthless to me, as the weapon stats are completely inferior to the ones that I have. They would probably be useful in the first few floors, but now not so much.

I began throwing random junk at the spider, hitting one of its eyes occasionally and blinding it. The spider now couldn't even attack me, as it was in complete agony. I also doubt it can attack accurately since it now only has one red eye. Showing no mercy, I picked up a small metal buckler and threw it like a Frisbee. The shield found its mark and planted itself on the spider's head, destroying the final eye.

The spider shrieked in agony, stumbling around aimlessly and losing its balance despite having eight legs. I began running over to retrieve my sword, but the spider turned around and faced me. It then came blindingly charging at me. I barely stepped aside since the spider moved a bit faster than before. Not only that, it seems it has very good hearing. That means that I have to be as quiet as possible, or else I won't be able to kill it safely.

I silently creeped towards my sword and picked it up off the ground. Utilizing the bonuses, I got from Darkness Blade, I began sneaking towards the spider. I carefully creeped ever so slowly to the spider until I was literally right in front of it. My arachnophobia didn't seem to kick in, giving me more confidence. I looked at its head and noticed a small red hourglass right next to its bleeding eyes. A weak spot?

Before I could doubt myself, I mercilessly impaled the red hourglass, making the spider drop dead. It didn't even shudder or make a sound. It was if all of its muscles just failed the spider completely. I pulled my sword out of the corpse, and the wound started spraying out a black liquid. When the black substance touched me, I saw me health begin rising. Does this black stuff heal me?

I got closer to the corpse and cut open a bigger hole out of curiosity. The black blood leaked out like a waterfall. I cupped my hands and splashed some of the substance on my face. Sure enough, my health went right back up. Out of curiosity, I took a sip of the spider blood and I felt energy surging through my body. The blood reinvigorated me completely, as if I had just been hit by defibrillators. After the adrenaline rush, the spider's body broke down into pixels and disappeared.

The post-fight screen appeared before me. A hell load of Cor, and enough experience for me to level up twice in just one fight. I guess that's my reward for soloing a boss that is supposed to be in the upper floors. Even so, the most surprising part is the message that was written at the bottom of the post-fight screen.

"You have successfully defeated _The Black Widow_ and consumed its magical blood. _VIT_ increased by twenty-five. Lethal poisons will damage you, but will never kill you." I read from the screen.

My jaw dropped down as I was in complete awe. Not only did I go up by two levels, but that spider blood gave me two bonuses, one of which is supposedly making me immune to poisons. I have never seen such a bonus in any MMORPG. Usually these type of bonuses lasts only for a certain amount of time, but I saw no time limit. I am curious and want to try it out, but if something goes wrong, then I will be dead. Not only that, the _Yami no Saji_ will trigger.

The room around me became a bit brighter. It was bright enough that I could now see the ceiling above me, which was completely covered by spider webs. Not only that, one side of the room began glowing white and the spider webs that covered the glowing area started burning away. When the webs were completely gone, a black iron door was revealed. That must be the exit of the boss room. The door glowed blue, just like the boss room entrance. Cloud must've finished his fight on his side as well.

Before heading to the door, I put my sword down and stretched my muscles as I was tired. This is only going to get harder. Each floor will be harder and longer than the previous one. Even on this floor, the closer I got to the boss room door, the harder the monsters seemingly became. I can't give up. Even if I tried, there is no way to safely escape this dungeon. I picked up my sword and put it back in its sheathe. I approached the door and pushed it open

/

/

/

Get ready for more short chapters like this. Like I said in the previous chapter, I get bored with writing these chapters, which is why this one took me much, much longer than the last few.


	13. Chapter 12: Death and the Winged Beast

**Two days later**

Even though I am nowhere close to the boss room, I have a vague idea on what the next boss will be challenging me on. It was a fear that Kirito mentioned back when I fought _Nahkriin_ , but at that time, I was rushed to even notice how high I was off the ground. But now, without all the adrenaline pumping inside of me, the floating stone floors I am standing on that hovers above a deep, dark abyss really doesn't help me calm down. Furthermore, sometimes I am able to see the bottom of the pit, where some insanely dangerous stalagmites are waiting for some careless prey to fall right into its carnivorous fangs. The sad thing is, I've seen it happen as well, even to some of the smarter NPC monsters I've dealt with.

Why is it are we born with fear? Is it so our mind and body knows what is dangerous and what is not? Is it because of the being who supposedly created us, called God in other countries, didn't want to make humanity so advanced? Or is it simply because everyone has a darkness inside them that must be purged such as myself? Either way, conquering a fear is a hard thing to do. I also do not understand the quotes that famous people have said such as:

"All we have to fear, is fear itself."

All we have to fear is fear. All we have to be scared of, is the feeling of being scared.

"What the hell were people thinking back then…" I mumbled to myself, "Sure there was a terrible war and a depression, but some people make little to no sense in the things they say. Well, they don't make sense to me, but to other people I guess… Ah, this is making my head hurt…"

I stopped dwelling on my rant about fear and looked at the area in front of me. The path forks up ahead, with the path to the left going downward and the other leading upward. Since it only made sense to me, I chose the path to the right which was higher off the ground only because it was higher off the ground. This place is supposed to challenge my fears, right?

 **(Violet)**

 **Two days later**

Something odd has being going on with the floor lately. There have been NPCs in the inns of Panareze spreading rumors about something weird. They would say they get nightmares of a steel dragon with eyes as colorful as the sunset burning down their homes, killing family and friends. What's even worse, some of them would say that when they wake up from their dreams, they hear a roar in the distance which was apparently identical to the dragon's roar in their dream.

"Is it an event? If this were here the entire time, then surely the Front Lines would've accomplished the mission already." Rizer questioned.

"I'm not sure." Argo mused, "Events are usually announced by the game to all players that are not currently in the dungeon. Those who are will receive the message after they exit the region. Nobody has gotten a notice event from anything."

"Oh and, I overheard something about this dragon when I went to go pick up supplies in Panareze." Paradox added in, "A player apparently claimed to see this dragon flying around in the night one time. They only managed to spot it because of its sunset-colored eyes. He told everyone that it was flying in the area between Panareze and this mountain range before plunging straight into the ocean, leaving no trace of it ever being there in the first place."

"Maybe its lair is in an underwater cave?" I asked, "I mean, we have never explored the ocean in this floor as it isn't necessary to clear the floor."

"Yes that is true, and even if we wanted to we can't." Argo complained, "There have been plenty of rumors where players who decided to go for a deep dive to never return again. You can see the breath capacity of a party member when they are underwater, but they were apparently killed by outside forces. Even on the surface, monsters that should belong in the upper floors have appeared, but only rarely."

"Makes it convenient for our base since then there will only be one safe path, which is the bridge." Rizer thought, "Of course, the waters around the bridge are safe, but most would want to walk across the bridge, exposing themselves completely."

"Enough of this talk about the water and dragons." I told them, "It's getting late now so we should probably return home. You know the drill Argo. Meet us back here tomorrow morning and we will resume the search for Mortifer."

"Yes Violet-senpai!" Argo smiled jokingly.

"Please don't call me that…"

"Okay then, Violet-san…"

 **Three days later**

Seven days of non-stop jumping across floating rocks… Whenever I find solid ground, I am so thankful that I begin kissing it. I despise those floating rocks not because I was terrified of falling, but because some of them were enchanted, moving around rapidly if stepped on. Not only that, the flying monsters are much harder to deal than normal ones. However, I'm positive that it all payed off because I obtained something special.

On the third day of being in this floor, I came across a passive creature. Its name is Ragout Rabbit. At first, I thought it was just an ordinary rabbit that you can find almost anywhere, but that wasn't the case when I managed to get my hands on one. Upon checking the rarity ranking of the _Ragout Rabbit Meat_ I obtained from it, I was astonished to see that it was an S-Class ingredient. Fortunately, there were some monsters that for some reason dropped salt, letting me preserve this meat for at least six months without using a real storage.

However, I'm still stuck in this cave, which is continuously making me burn with rage. It took me seven days to find the boss room in the 1st Floor, while it took me five days to find the door to the 2nd Floor. At first, I thought Cloud was lying about each floor taking at least a week to get to the boss room. If I could see my past self right now, I would be laughing my butt off for my stupidity.

The boss room is in my sights, but it rests on top of a very tall cliff. If I were to estimate the elevation it is currently at, then its approximate distance from my level is about half a kilometer. The horizontal distance from my current position to the door is also another half kilometer. Of course, the only path to this boss room door is a maze of floating rocks. Once you step on the rocks, they begin to dissolve into particles, so you only have a set amount of time on them.

Fortunately, I can't die if I happen to miss a jump since there is a large black lake right below this maze. However, I must start from the middle of the room instead of the beginning of the parkour maze. Even worse, there are flying monsters that come out of the darkness who grab me and bring me back to the middle of the dungeon. Once they grab me, I can't fight back as their bodies are ethereal. The only way I can attack them is to strike before they grab me. However, it's almost impossible to get them, even with my quick reflexes.

These flying monsters fly straight at normal speeds, but when they go into a dive to grab me, they move at mach speed, maybe even faster. Not only that, they are stealth monsters, so I can't hear the beating of their wings. The only way I know where they will come from is from a terrifying shriek they produce before they grab for me. I only have a split second to react once the sound ends. After that, its either be caught and restart, or kill the monster. And so, I continued with this repetitive and tedious task, desperate to get out of this dungeon.

 **The next day**

This must be my two-thousandth try trying to climb this staircase of rock to reach the boss room. Those stupid flying creatures are much, much faster than I thought they were, and yes, faster than the speed of sound. It must've been my fifteen-hundredth try when I managed to reach the boss room door. Due to my urge to boast about my accomplishment, I celebrated too long and let myself get grabbed by a monster. I could've killed myself right there and then because of my lack of intellect.

On the other hand, there is something new I should worry about. Starting from a few hours ago, a thin black mist has covered the floor. It looks harmless but it makes me worry. Furthermore, I've been getting this feeling as if someone or something is watching me. This theory became true when I spotted a pair of glowing red eyes staring at me in the darkness. They radiated hostility and malice, but it remained in the shadows instead of attacking.

Suddenly, I hear the familiar scream of the flying creatures, making me go into alert mode. In a flash, I turned to the direction of the sound and swung my sword, slicing the flying creature in half. I rushed up the stone steps whilst counting to thirty seconds, as that is how long the grace period is. When my internal timer ticked thirty, I stopped to listen for the scream. As expected, a scream echoed in the dungeon hall, and I killed the monster heading for me.

This process repeated itself several times before I finally reached the boss room. Unlike last time, the door is glowing blue, which means Cloud is here waiting for me. Not wanting to repeat the same mistake I did back in my fifteen-hundredth try, I immediately pushed the boss room doors open and rushed inside. However, doing so without at least checking my surroundings also proved to be a terrible mistake, as my foot found no ground to touch and I fell into a pit of darkness. The wind rushed past my face as I began picking up speed. It didn't take long before I reached my terminal velocity.

Is this a boss room? Or is it supposed to be a pitfall trap with stalagmites at the very bottom, waiting to impale its next prey? Either way, my mind is panicking right now. If this is a boss fight, am I going to have to do it while I'm in a freefall? I expected something more of the standing on a tightrope or a precarious bridge high in the air, but it seems that the game decided to make this fight completely unfair and insane. What scares me most is that I can't see the ground, but only a never-ending darkness.

"That was a cruel move to pull on me, Kayaba…" I muttered under my breath.

 **Almost a day later**

The entirety of this dungeon just doesn't abide with the laws of this virtual world. I've been in this freefall for god knows how long. I can't even open my inventory and check how much time has passed since I entered here. If I were to estimate, then it would probably be approximately twenty hours. And because being in a freefall is so boring when it takes almost a day to do so, I somehow managed to take a nap. I woke up just now because I felt something strange. The air around me became slightly warmer than before. I could also feel the wind hitting me on all fronts even though it should only hit me at the parts that are pointing down towards the abyss.

I began hearing faint sounds through the wind that roared in my ears. I couldn't exactly tell what it was, but it sounded like the beating of wings. Some very heavy wings. Suddenly, I felt a gush of air hit me hard, making me start tumbling. The walls of the pit began glowing ever so slightly, letting me see a huge silhouette fly right past me. What the hell was that just now? This silhouette kept circling around me until it stopped right in front of me. When I looked at its eyes, the colors I saw reminded me of a scarlet sunset. They were bright, yellow and reptilian.

The silhouette started to glow as well as the walls of the abyss, illuminating the entire dungeon. I froze in fear as I stared right into the eyes of a dragon. The mythical beast let out a deafening roar which hurt even more since I was right next to it. A name appeared above the dragon's head. It read _Ragnarok the Twilight Dragon_. A total of six health bars appeared next to it, making my mind go into an even bigger shock. I don't even think five _Nahkriins_ could take this guy on, and one _Nahkriin_ alone decimated _The Army_ 's forces.

The dragon flew around me before tucking in its wings, diving below me. I turned to look below me and regretted doing so the moment I looked past the dragon. Right below the two of us, I saw something I absolutely did not want to see. The ground. Are you telling me that I'm going to have to kill this guy **_before_** I hit the ground?

"Ever tried taking on your own challenges Kayaba?!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, "I bet you were too much of a coward to even go through something like this yourself!"

The dragon roared once again and it began opening its mouth, which began glowing a bright yellow. I knew what was coming so I maneuvered my body and dodged the fiery flame breath of the dragon. Although it didn't hit me, the heat of the flames scorched my pants. I now understand how hard it is to recover yourself when you're tumbling down the sky. The dragon dived below me again, making me look at the ground once more. Only this time, the ground seems much, much closer than it was last time. Before it was only a tiny dot in the distance, like a far-away island in an ocean. Now, I estimate about thirty seconds before I go splat.

"Curse you Akihiko…" I muttered under my breath.

I unsheathed my sword and tucked in my arms and legs, letting myself fall a little bit faster so I can reach the dragon. I landed on top of his head and prepared to stab it in the eye, but when my sword made contact, it bounced harmlessly from the reptilian eye. The dragon blinked, revealing an almost transparent layer of scales that protected its eye. I changed my position and tried impaling its head, only to get the same results. The scales feel like they are made from diamond.

If I use a Sword Skill on this sword Rizer created for me, then it should be strong enough to be able to deal some damage on heavily armored opponents. With my added physical strength, I should theoretically be able to cut through steel. But if Rizer's masterpiece of a sword can't even make a dent on the dragon's scales, then what can? I looked back down and saw that the ground was almost on us. Is this dragon even flying? If so, then why the hell is the ground getting closer? Why does this game have to be so frustrating!

Without even thinking, I activated _Embracer_ and punched one of the many spikes scattered around the dragon's back. The spike shattered and revealed a glowing hole filled with vivid colors. The colors of twilight. Remembering my battle with _Nahkriin_ , whose weak spot was a hole in its body, I held my sword ready stabbed the dragon where the hole was located. The sword dug deep into the dragon, who roared defiantly. A small percentage of the sixth healthbar decreased and the hole I attacked became covered up with scales. If I can find and hit every one of the dragon's weak spots, then I should be able to win.

 _Ragnarok_ started thrashing around, forcing me to hold on tight to its back. When I looked back down below us, my mind completely exploded into fear and shock. The ground was literally right in front of my face. At that moment, the two of us made impact with the ground. The dragon cushioned me somewhat while it took the brunt of the impact. Even so, its health bar didn't decrease, At the same time, the ground, which I thought was solid ground, shattered into pieces, revealing another dark abyss. Farther down below us, I could see another circle which I once thought was the ground. Akihiko and his tricks…

"Stop messing with my damn head you prick!" I cursed Kayaba.

I went on a rampage on top of the dragon's back and lost my balance. I fell back into a freefall right next to the dragon's face. The dragon let out a roar and began circling around me like last time. It opened its mouth and pointed its snout towards me, preparing to kill me with a breath attack. I could just sense how annoying this fight is going to be, and I will most definitely not enjoy it.

 **A few hours later**

See, most boss fights in MMORPG games need a certain plan to take down the boss. You memorize a certain attack pattern and adapt to it. You can choose to dodge its attacks and counter, or just keep running away. Once you've done it enough, you have this sort of internal timer of how the battle is going to go from this point. Ragnarok on the other hand, is a complete puzzle.

Tedious, frustrating, repetitive, and infuriating. Those are the words I'm going to use to describe this boss battle. The dragon has no set attack pattern from what I've seen the past few hours. The spikes on its body have various sizes and are hidden in so many different places, making it hard for me to get to especially since I can't utilize some of my muscles due to my freefall state. I lost count of how many weak spots this dragon has because there was just so many. It takes me two to three minutes to get each spike, and there has been at least one hundred of them. My health is a little bit below half and I had three more spikes to go until this guy finally dies.

During that whole time, we've been smashing into fake ground constantly. The dragon isn't taking any damage from it due to its armored body, but flying debris hits me from time to time. One time, the dragon had sat on my stomach while my back went through the wall. I felt no pain, but my health bar took a considerable drop, forcing me to use the last potion I had.

I'm holding onto its left wing right now. One spike is located at the very end of this wing. Another spike is located on the end of the other wing while the last one is located on the tip of its snout. The razor-sharp teeth and the possibility of being cooked meat for the dragon coaxed me to take that spike on last. Either way, these three are quite possibly the hardest ones to get to. I'm having to hug the wing and slowly squirm my way to the edge since the force of the wings can send me to the walls of the chasm we were in, dealing unnecessary damage to my avatar. I've already used my last potion, and I obviously can't use my Meditation skill here since I can't calm my mind when I'm in battle.

My mind is also being confused by the setting of this boss fight. For the past few hours, we've been falling into fake floors. Why is it that the dragon is flying, yet we still seem to be falling? My only theory is that our bodies aren't moving, but rather the chasm itself is going upwards, giving the illusion of falling endlessly. Even so, it doesn't explain the constant wind that is rushing past my face all the time.

I suddenly hit my head against something hard and noticed that I wasn't on the dragon anymore and that I'm next to the chasm's walls. Did I really doze off that much that I forgot about the current situation I'm in? God, how can I be so dumb…

I pushed against the wall using my hands and luckily, I managed to dodge the dragon's breath attack which I didn't even notice at first. I glided towards the dragon, avoiding its massive wings and attempts to attack me. I made a risky decision and headed straight for the spike that I was going for earlier. I reached for the wing, grabbed onto the edge of it and held on. The dragon flapped its wings, attempting to shake me off but I endured through it. In fact, it helped me because the dragon flipped me over and made me slam my back against its wing.

I rolled myself over and began crawling to the spike once more. Without hesitation, I punched the spike, removing it from the dragon's hide and revealing the hole in its wing. I unsheathed my sword and stabbed the glowing hole, causing the dragon some severe pain. Knowing exactly what's going to happen next, I quickly let go and moved away as far as possible. The dragon's body glowed brightly before exploding violently. It has been doing that ever since I took down half of its spikes. I was fortunate enough to be knocked away the first time it had exploded and learned my lesson afterwards.

I barely brushed the chasm's walls as the searing hot flames almost reached me. The flames stopped an arm's reach away but my body still felt like it was on fire. When the flames finally dissipated, I tucked in my arms and legs to catch up with the "falling" dragon. I managed to safely land on its other wing, where the second-to-last spike was located. When I began crawling to the spike, I noticed the sudden change in the air and the chasm's temperature. I looked up to see what was going on.

We were no longer in a chasm, but rather an enormous cavern that was so big, the entire Black Iron Palace could probably fit inside it. Stalactites of varying sizes dotted the ceiling above me. The chasm where we fell from stood out from the cavern due to the light of the chasm's walls. Right below me, an enormous lake with a single island in the middle. A giant black door stood at the center of this tiny island. My face beamed with happiness from seeing door since this boss fight could finally end. However, my smile faded right away when I came to a sudden realization.

For the past few hours, we've been falling through fake ground for the reason of trick my mind into thinking that it is solid ground and I will die upon impact. A few times it worked but I've gotten used to it. However, because this is an entirely new cavern and the boss room door is standing on that island, this must mean that there are no more illusions here. The land right below me is solid ground, and we are still falling at terminal velocity.

Noticing my time constraint, I quickly crawled over to the spike on its wing, punched off the spike and sunk my sword into the glowing hole. The dragon roared once more and I flew away to avoid the explosion. The six health bars that appeared at the start of the fight is now at the bare minimum. If this dragon's hide wasn't so strong, I could literally kill it my jabbing my finger in its eye. Unfortunately, even its eyes are protected.

When the flames faded away, I dove straight towards the dragon's snout, right to the last spike. I glided right in front of the dragon, matching its speed. It made no attempt to fly away, which was good for me since then I wouldn't have to waste anymore time. The dragon spotted and its eyes flashed red for a moment. It shrieked and began flapping its wings with more force, pushing me away. Not only did I get pushed away, the wind sent my spiraling down, making me slightly dizzy. Every time I looked down, I was reminded that if I don't hurry it up, I'm going to be a tiny little stain in this enormous cavern.

I recovered myself and glided towards the falling dragon, who was now trying to fly away. Instead of moving around horizontally however, it tucked in its wings and headed straight toward the island, making itself fall faster. I dove after the dragon and locked onto the final spike on its head. If I'm quick enough, I can punch the spike while going past it, spread my arms and legs to slow my fall, and stab it. It is very risky since I'm turning my back to the dragon's mouth, which could reach out and devour me at any moment. I'm relying on my speed and reaction time on this one since I have no time to waste crawling on its back.

I activated _Embracer_ , making my fist glow yellow. I did exactly what I planned. I punched the spike, causing the weak point to be revealed. I spread open my arms to gain more air resistance, slowing my fall. Just as I predicted, the dragon did try to devour me whole and it missed by a few centimeters. I unsheathed my sword once more, dove for its head and stuck my sword into that blasted hole.

The dragon's body began glowing brightly. The beautiful colors of twilight illuminated most the cavern. The dragon's body began slowly dissolving into pieces before finally disappearing completely. The light also faded away, leaving me in the darkness again. The only light left in the cave was the chasm above me and the single island below. Even though the boss fight was finally done, I was still falling to my death. Before I could even think of a plan to save myself, the piercing cry of a very familiar creature.

I turned around and saw the face of the same annoying flying creature that hangs around outside the boss room where the floating rock staircase is. The creature grabbed me on my shoulders and held on tightly. The creature began flying and I stopped falling. It headed towards the island at the center of the underground lake and flew to that direction. Instead flying lower and dropping me on the ground, it dropped me straight from the air. Although I was slightly annoyed, the ground wasn't too far down and I landed without breaking a sweat. Who knew that annoying monster would be useful for something…

"You really are cruel Akihiko…" I mumbled to myself.

I stood up straight and brushed the dirt off my clothes. I looked at the giant door in front of me, which was already glowing blue. I wouldn't be surprised if Cloud had finished his battle already since I was in this boss room for an entire day or more. Maybe there's a chance that his boss fight also lasted an entire day. If it didn't, then I wouldn't be too happy when I meet Cloud again, since he is surely going to call me out for taking forever. I shrugged and pushed open the door, which revealed another black tunnel. What was that saying again? Oh yes… Same shit, different day.

 **Seven days later**

I've been losing track of time recently. Has it been seven days since I defeated _Ragnarok_? Or has it only been six days? Nonetheless, I'm thankful that I got even a little bit of sleep while falling in that chasm, because lately I haven't been able to do so. Even in the game I can get fatigued if I don't get any sleep. I've been trying to find safe areas where I can rest for a few hours or so. So far, I haven't seen any good areas and I'm totally sleep deprived.

Even so, I continue to fight against all the monsters that block the path ahead of me. However, that thing that I saw back in the third floor of this dungeon still seems to be around here. I can feel its unfathomable presence lurking in the darkness. I am no longer able to catch it watching me, but I know it is nearby. The thin black fog from the previous floor has grown into black clouds. When I approach it, it only gets absorbed into my body. Since it has already been two days, I'm confident that the black fog has done nothing beneficial nor threatening as I am the same as always. For now, I've decided to ignore the black clouds which now act like a black wall, discouraging me from turning back.

Other than that, this dungeon is driving me crazy. I've been lost in this floor for what feels like forever. If Cloud had found the boss room already, then he must be getting impatient with me considering the last boss fight and the time I'm taking to find the boss room. The floor is riddled with illusions that sometimes bring me back to the very start of the dungeon. The black fog becomes so thick that I am not able to see where I'm going. Every time I enter the fog to move backwards, I only find myself back in the same place and only able to move forward. I even tried crawling through the fog but failed. I must've started over from the start four times already. After the second time, I've marked all the fake paths with a pile of stones.

Right now, I seem to be at the center of the dungeon. That's at least what I call it since it is a giant room that splits up into at least twenty different paths. I've completely explored fifteen out of the twenty paths. The previous paths I've taken have split once or twice but no more than that. If the same pattern continues, then the minimum of paths I must fully explore will be ten while the maximum reaches up to twenty. Any and every false path I take will only take me back to the beginning so I need to depend on my luck for this floor.

 **October 1** **st** **2023, The next day**

Never mind luck. It hasn't helped me at all. I explored all twenty paths and couldn't find the boss room. That's because I didn't fully explore the first path I took. The first path I took had an illusion which brought me back to the start. However, I didn't notice that the path where the illusion is located splits into another path right before you enter the trickster hallway.

The boss room door towered in front of me in all its hellish glory. Thousands of different scenes depicting death were engraved on the black door. Homicides, executions, torture scenes, genocides and warfare. A man executed by the guillotine. Another had to suffer the agonizing death caused by the Brazen Bull. There were multiple scenes depicting a cloaked man stabbing a person with a sword. The drawings made my head hurt as the Voices were growing stronger. Even though this Cave is utter hell, I haven't heard the Voices for a while.

The scene that caught my eye's attention the most however, is the enormous located on the center of the door. The scene depicted a battle between Heaven and Hell. The two opposing forces of Light and Darkness fighting each other in a great battle. The armies of the Angels, with their pure white clothes and the halos above their heads, fighting against the red devils of Satan. I don't understand the full meaning of the picture due to its religious stance, but I understand enough that it is good against evil. At the upper-right corner of the scene, a lone grim reaper.

The scenes from the Night of the Forest replayed in my head. The nightmare I had after it where I was being sliced up by grim reapers was still fresh in my memory. The Voices were screaming in my head, forcing me to take it easy and sit down on a rock. Well, at least that's what I assumed it was. Taking note of its weird shape, I stood up and saw that I was not sitting on a rock, but a tombstone. The horrifying part is that the name written on the tombstone was mine. Kirigaya Katsumoto, died May 4th, 2023. The date written is the same day that **_that_** ** _night_** happened. I backed away from the tombstone, scared, but then I noticed that the endless black cloud was right behind me, making me stop in my tracks.

The black fog formed a thick black wall just like what the spiders did back before I fought The Black Widow. Although it seemed like a solid wall, some parts of the black fog formed hands that began reaching out for me. I was curious as to what the wall is doing, and so I decided to touch the wall. That may have been the worst mistake I've done in this floor since it felt like someone had poured lava onto my hand. Even with the Pain Absorber, I still felt tremendous pain. I took significant damage from touching it, which is bad since I'm just about to enter the boss room. Seeing no other choice but to push forward, I ran up to the door and pushed it open with my shoulders, causing myself to stumble in when it opened.

I found myself in a circular room with columns aligning the outer walls. I couldn't see past the columns since there was not enough light in those areas. Skeletons littered the floor, as well as huge stalagmites of varying sizes. And as I walked closer to the center of the room, the darkness which started from behind the columns converged on me. The darkness moved past the columns and soon, all I could see is anything half a meter away. Thankfully this isn't the same darkness as the black fog which had hurt me outside of the room. I stood up straight with my sword ready and waited for the boss.

I couldn't see it anywhere around me though it is very dark in the room. I could however, sense an evil presence. Whoever is radiating this sinister bloodlust wants to kill me. Although I could clearly sense its bloodlust, I just couldn't determine its position. All I could hear was the sound of metal grinding against stone. Immediately, I sensed a change in the air to my right but I was already too late. I got hit by some unknown force and got sent flying. Definitely an object since I saw a flash of silver right before I got hit.

The room around me illuminated except for the parts behind the columns. Still on the ground, I slowly turned around and saw the silhouette of the boss towering over me. The creature raised an enormous scythe and its cloak flailed in the eerie wind of the cave. Two red eyes circled independently from one another, as if confused as to what to look at. Both red eyes then turned to me and gave me a death stare. The room lit up some more, revealing the creature's skull-like face. There's no doubt about it. This boss is a grim reaper. And to add to that, five health bars appeared right next to its name, _The Fatal Scythe_.

The personification of death itself is what I'm going to be fighting to overcome my fear of death. Now doesn't that sound fun? Either way, the Voices are growing again and I'm about to go into a panic attack. Not because of the boss monster, but because my health right now is in the red zone. If I take one more hit from it, I will surely die. I quickly got up from the ground and picked up my sword which was a meter away from my position.

I quickly scanned my surroundings and tried forming a strategy. The only form of cover I can use from the boss are the colossal stalagmites. The outer pillars would be better, but the darkness is uninviting and the boss seems to have speed. There is a large area with no stalagmites in between the pillars and the center, so running through that would be a death sentence especially if its attacks are area-of-effect. I was too focused on coming up with a strategy to hide that I didn't even notice I was out in the open.

I rolled out of the way as the reaper brought down its scythe to the location where I was standing. The blade cut through the ground as if it were cardboard. At the same time, the blade's end shot out some sort of projectile that continued the path which the scythe was pointed at. The projectile left a path of death on the ground, causing the rocky floor to wither up and erode. It then attempted to slice me in half but I managed to duck as the razor-sharp blade swung above my head, cutting a few strands of hair. The scythe collided into one of the stalagmites. Instead of stopping and getting stuck in the rock however, the scythe went cleanly through it. The upper half of the stalagmite slid off its now separated bottom half and both figures began crumbling away.

The reaper looked at me with its crimson red eyes. Unlike _The Black Widow_ , this guy's eyes feel like they are piercing my soul, destroying it from the inside out. As I kept staring at them, I began seeing visions. Visions of the many ways I will die, here in this room, by the hands of The Fatal Scythe. All the scenes were rather slow, agonizing deaths. I finally broke out of its gaze when it began preparing for another attack. It spun its scythe rapidly in front of it, it could've become a helicopter. _The Fatal Scythe_ spun its deadly weapon above its head and finally slammed the bottom end of the scythe on the ground, creating a strong and visible shockwave. My instinct was to jump, which worked at first. However, once I landed, the floor beneath me began withering and broke apart, revealing a sightless pit which spanned the whole entire room.

Panicking was my first mistake, since I started backing up too fast. The stone floor continued to break apart, giving me less and less space to move around. I decided to stop moving since I was afraid to lose any more space to move around, which thankfully worked since the floor stopped eroding away. When I looked up to face the boss, it was gone. I looked around the room and strained my ears to listen for its movements. Even with the Darkness Blade, I could barely hear its skeletal body rattle. Then, a sudden realization hit me. How could I be _that_ stupid to forget about my cloak again? I activated my cloak and stood still waiting.

The sounds of its bones had stopped. It was completely silent. Although it was only for less than a minute, the nerve-wracking silence felt like eternity. The silence became so unbearable for my body that I began hearing my own heartbeat. Where was the boss? Did it just disappear?

I continued to scan my surroundings, slowly turning my body to make sure I make as minimal sound as possible. The fragile stone floor beneath me began to tremor, causing my body to go into alert mode. Using my speed, I jumped away from my current location right before _The Fatal Scythe_ emerged from an explosion of rock. The enormous hole took a chunk out of the little space I had left to move. It was hovering right below the stone floor, waiting to get close enough to hit me. The grim reaper then glared at me and swung its scythe in my direction. I jumped out of the way as I deactivated my cloak. Not even the Cloak of Darkness can hide me from this guy.

How is this fight even possible? I haven't been able to hit it once, and it doesn't seem to have an attack pattern. The amount of room I have left to walk around in is decreasing tremendously. Occasionally they return to normal, but it was just too slow. The stalagmites obviously don't help me at all. In fact, they just give me even less room to work in. If I so much as get hit by even the pole of the scythe, I will surely be dead. My mind began breaking down as I couldn't handle the fact that I'm going to die in here despite all my efforts to push forward. I became desperate to come up with a plan, but I have completely run out of ideas and strategies. All my years of studying in school, hunting mobs in the field, as well as all those RPGs I have played in the past have trained me for this exact moment. Even then, it still wasn't enough.

I looked at the boss who held a triumphant look on its skeletal face. What's the point in stalling this fight? There's just no way for me to win this. If I can't even face my fears, then how am I supposed to defeat whatever darkness lies within me? Just thinking about what is inside of me is frightening me even more. I dropped my sword and fell on my knees, about ready to give up all hope. If I die in this dungeon, then so be it. It's much better than living the rest of my life with the voices of those you brought pain upon constantly screaming in your head.

 _The Fatal Scythe_ noticed that I had given up all hope and held its weapon tightly. It held its lethal weapon with both hands and prepared to deal a killing blow. When it swung its scythe to decapitate me, time seemed to slow to a stop when the blade was right next to my face. In the reflection of my executioner's blade, I saw a person holding their hand out to me. It was Violet, and she smiled as she reached out for my own hand. Her voice began speaking in my head, saying:

"I love you."

I could only cry at the sound of her voice. The voice that I longed to hear and will now never hear again.

"I'm sorry Violet… But this will be my end…"

The image in the blade faded away, like a ripple in a pond ruining your reflection. That instant, the razor-sharp blade of the monster's scythe cut through the image and went straight to my head. The edge of the blade barely missed, but I was still hit by the side of it, suffering blunt damage from the weapon. The impact on my head sent my body flying and made my brain dizzy. I fell flat on the ground, a bit nauseous, but there was still one solid thought in my mind that would not go away. I looked at my health bar, waiting for it to drop down to zero and for the system to designate me as dead. The problem was, it didn't. My health bare stayed relatively the same as it was before I took the hit. What the hell is going on here?

I slowly stood up and cleared my head. _The Fatal Scythe_ was slowly approaching me, ready to attack once again. That previous attack should've killed me. So, why didn't it? Did I overestimate the damage it can deal on me? That's when I remembered what I had to go through to get to this room. All the illusive corridors that would trap me and send me straight back to the very beginning of the floor. The first hit it dealt on me gave me an illusion of having extremely low health, causing my mind to think that I'm going to die. To back it up, my _Surge of Darkness_ would've triggered by now since I am in the red-zone. Realizing my stupidity, I began laughing out loud.

"Oh you're good Kayaba… I absolutely hate you, but that was a good trick" I complimented the evil creator. I picked up my sword and faced the boss monster, "I take back what I thought earlier. It's best to live out your life to the fullest, because in the end, it doesn't even matter. We will all live, and we will all die. It's a cruel cycle of life and death that this so-called God created. Even if I die in your god damn game Kayaba, at least I did my best in trying to beat you!"

I recklessly charged straight at _The Fatal Scythe_ who held its weapon in front of him. I acted like I was going to attack but went for a feint instead. The boss fell for it and I managed to hit its flank as it blocked in the wrong direction. I slashed at its arm, dropping one of its five health bars down to half. A monster this weak made me freak out completely… How embarrassing. Even so, I still can't let myself get it since I will still take damage from it.

I let out a merciless onslaught on my opponent, cutting the grim reaper into a hundred pieces. _The Fatal Scythe_ gave off an expression of horror as it silently dropped its weapon and bursted into a thousand pieces. The room's darkness went away and I could now see past the columns. Between two pillars, the familiar black iron door of the boss room stood. I stretched my muscles and carefully headed over to the door. The ground beneath me continued to fragment, making me a bit nervous.

Eventually I reached the door and stood in front of it. It wasn't glowing blue like it usually does. It doesn't seem like Cloud has finished his fight yet. After all, my fight was a lot quicker compared to the rest. Especially if I compare it to _Ragnarok_ which took a whole day if you include my fall. I approached the door and tried pushing it open, but it wouldn't budge. I sat down and leaned against one of the columns, resting myself.

 **Three hour later**

I woke up due to the blue light the door emitted as well as the deep humming that came from it. I checked my inventory and noticed that three hours have passed. What was Cloud fighting to make him take so long? Either way, we've both made it. I approached the door and opened it, revealing a new tunnel with torches hanging on the side. The moment I stepped into the tunnel, the door slammed shut behind me. The door then began fading away, leaving only a stone wall. A newly created dead end. I pushed forward, delving deeper and deeper into the tunnel until I started hearing footsteps ahead of me. They weren't echoes of my own as it sounded much heavier, and I instinctively make my footsteps as silent as possible.

I hugged the side of the wall and noticed that the tunnel joined together with a different cave that seems to be adjacent to it. I stopped moving and listened for these footsteps. They continued to get closer and closer, each step sounding much heavier than the last. Whoever or whatever is making those sounds seems to be carrying something very heavy. That's when I heard a familiar voice.

"Mortifer, you there?"

It was a voice I recognized and am glad to hear. I turned the corner to see a familiar looking face of my mentor. His blonde hair had dirt marks on it and his armor was slightly ruined. His sword had dust and blood on its blade, but nothing else seems to have changed about it.

"Long time no see Cloud." I smiled, 'It's been a month or so, hasn't it?"

"I believe so." The NPC agreed.

"What took you so long with that boss? You made me wait."

"The boss room was huge and the boss was pretty mobile. Though I don't think you should be talking to me about waiting. I waited for almost a whole day for you to finish that second one!"

"Yeah about that, it was an aerial battle and the boss didn't show up until the last few hours." I told him, scratching my head since I knew I was going to get scolded for that.

"Well anyways… This is the last floor before we reach the end of this dungeon. Our darkness is waiting for us, and I would like to meet him and finish this, once and for all. Are you ready?"

"What are you talking about? Of course I'm ready! That last boss pumped me up and I need to get this excess energy out of my system. Let's go!"

 **(Violet)**

The search has been going on for almost a month now, and the only thing we've found is the dungeon. Well, we don't know if it's the dungeon that they entered but we weren't very specific about what kind of dungeon it is. The players who found it said that some mysterious force is preventing them from entering. We gave them the money even though we didn't know if it's the right one, and since they were demanding it. That happened two days ago. At least a hundred people have been searching for almost a month, and all we end up with is a stupid cave that nobody can enter.

"I told you this would happen…" Rizer exclaimed, "They are all starting to think this is all some ruse to piss them off. Most of the people who are searching for Mortifer and Cloud aren't even looking in this floor anymore!"

"I already told you that we are not going to give up on this search, so please stop…" I persuaded him.

"No, you should stop!" Rizer yelled back, "We are wasting our time and money on this search! Just because that weird guy gave us money and his mask happened to look just like Mortifer's doesn't mean its him. What if Argo has been lying to us the whole time, and it turns out that this was all set up by her? We already know the things she would do for money!"

"You owe Mortifer your life Rizer! And I do as well!" I shouted back at him, "You can't just give up on him when he's done so much for us!"

Rizer walked up to me and grabbed my throat with his hand. He lifted me off the ground and pushed me up against the wall, pinning me there and giving me a death stare.

"I don't take orders from you Violet. I don't take orders from anybody. If you didn't want this to happen, then maybe you should have just left me to die to the wolves that night! I don't care if you love him… Just give it up! He is dead!"

Those last few words stabbed my heart. It also made my temper fall into a pit of fire. I kicked Rizer hard on the chest, causing him to let go of me. I drew out my rapier and he drew out his broadsword. We were honestly going to attack each other until Paradox suddenly jumped in right between us.

"Guys please stop this!" she pleaded, tears running down her cheeks, "Fighting isn't going to get us anywhere! It will only make matters worse. Besides, it's all my fault this is happening. If I hadn't stayed in that forest for a few more minutes, none of this would have happened."

Before either of us could reply, Paradox ran to the farthest corner of the cave and broke down crying. Rizer and I looked at each other. When we looked down at our hands, the two of us began filling up with shame. Shame for raising our weapons against each other despite our bonds. We sheathed our weapons and walked different ways. Rizer went outside while I headed over to the corner of the cave to comfort Paradox.

"Paradox…" I quietly called out for her but she raised her hand to stop me.

"Don't Violet…" she sobbed, "Don't come here and tell me that it isn't my fault he is gone. Don't ask me if everything is okay, because it isn't. Ever since I joined your group, I've brought nothing but pain and despair. I'm the reason Mortifer ran away that night. I'm the reason you have been searching endlessly for the one you love. I'm the reason that you and Rizer almost killed each other just now. So please, just leave me alone so I can try to find a way to make myself not feel as guilty."

This was the most I've seen her cry. The Night of the Forest is the runner up for that. I backed away as I knew that no sort of comforting can help her. I took a deep breath and stepped outside, walking over to Rizer who was watching the sun set in the distance. I stopped right next to him, also admiring the see. We stayed like this, not talking to each other. Minutes passed until finally…

"I'm sorry." The both of us said at the same time. We both looked at each other for a second and looked back to the sea.

"You can go first…" I told Rizer

"I… I shouldn't have said those things to you Violet. It was completely rude of me to say that with all the pain you're going through." Rizer apologized, "I don't know what came over me. Something just snapped inside of me and told me to forget everything. To forget about Mortifer and this wild goose chase. To forget all our experiences together. When Paradox stepped in between us, that's when I came back to myself. At that moment, I immediately regretted the things I did and felt so guilty I couldn't forgive myself…"

"Same goes for me." I started saying, "I shouldn't have argued with you and kicked you. I lost all sense of self-control after you said those last few words. I feel bad, drawing my rapier in order to hurt you. I feel even worse because I hurt both you and Paradox…"

"You didn't hurt me… You made me realize that we must help each other in times of hardships. You are in one of those times right now, and so, I'll stand by your side and help you."

We both looked at each other and smiled. Both of us turned our bodies and gave each other a warm, and apologetic hug.

"You should go back inside and check if Paradox has calmed down a little bit." Rizer told me. As I began to walk away, Rizer grabbed my shoulder and stopped me, "Oh and Violet… Thank you for saving me that night back in the 3rd Floor. You're right… I most definitely owe Mortifer my life, and so I won't give up in searching for him."

The both of us smiled and he let go of my shoulder. I walked back inside the cave to check up on Paradox, who had actually cried herself to sleep. Since she's calmed down, I checked my notifications list to see if I got any messages from any of the searchers during our argument. Nothing… Well, it doesn't matter to me. Just like I said earlier to Rizer, I am not giving up. I will find Mortifer.

/

/

/

I had to recopy this thing like four times and reformat it because this website doesn't allow certain characters or something and I have no clue what isn't allowed or not. Anyways, sorry this took forever. I lost count on how many times I feel asleep while writing this story. The next two chapters will take much longer but I promise to post the entire story before the end of this year (2016). Thank you to everyone who still reads this (shitty) story of mine.

Longest chapter so far with 9k+ words. Anyways, good bye now!


	14. Chapter 13: Hell's Gate

**Two days later**

 _I woke up to the sound of rain and thunder. I found myself in my room, in the real world. The lamp that I always keep on is off. I tried turning it on but it wouldn't. There must be some blackout. Lightning struck again, and this time right outside the house. The sound was deafening and the house shook. I got out of bed and peered outside the window. The street was scorched from the lightning strike and a lamp post had fallen. Beneath the fallen post, lied a person. Worried, I hurried out of my room and ran outside the house, heading towards the person. The rain beated down on my body and lightning cracked the sky continuously. I headed towards the fallen lamp post and kneeled next to the person. They were face-down so I couldn't see their face and what they look like. I tried pulling the person out but it seems they can't slide through the space between the asphalt and the lamp post. I tried lifting the lamp post instead, but to no avail. I tried waking the person up and I felt a prescence behind me. I turned around and saw a thick black mist come out of a nearby sewer hole. The cloud kept building up, and eventually started forming a humanoid creature. When no more mist came out of the sewer hole, the humanoid giant towered above me, about the height of my house. I looked up to its giant black face and saw a pair of green eyes. Its eyes seemed to be on fire. It looked straight at me and my body went completely numb. It raised one of its hands, where a bright green flame appeared from it. The flames enveloped its entire fist and the last thing I saw, was that very fist heading straight towards my face._

I woke up screaming from the nightmare, already had my sword drawn out. The fire beside me crackled as it burned its last few pieces of wood. Cloud, who was watching over me, turned to look at me.

"Nightmare?" he questioned me.

I couldn't respond since my body is still panicking from the nightmare. I calmed down and tried to steady my breathing and heartrate. Once I returned to normal I responded to Cloud's question with a nod.

"It didn't seem to be related to my friends or that night in the forest." I explained to him, "It was different. Completely different. In fact, I don't think it even relates to me nor my darkness."

"Interesting…" Cloud mumbled. The NPC's face looked like it was wondering about what my dream could've been until it opened its inventory, "Oh, well it seems that you woke from your sleep just in time. We should start moving again."

"Alright." I agreed, "Let's go."

 **A few hours later**

I feel more comfortable with Cloud by my side. We worked together in unison to fight the monsters ahead of us. According to Cloud, the last floor is just pure fighting, no puzzles like my previous ones. All of the monsters were at levels beyond me, yet having trained for this and being cautious makes it so I can actually fight them. From time to time, that prescence I felt from the previous floor appears, but fades away once I try to search for it. I asked Cloud about it, but apparently, he has never seen something like that from his previous experiences. He said he never really pays attention to things like that, but only focuses on clearing the dungeon. I couldn't really blame him since he is a quest-NPC with only one goal, assist the player with finishing the quest.

Right now, Cloud and I are searching for the center of this floor. Form there, we will start searching for the boss room area. Like the previous floor, we ran into multiple paths we could've taken. Cloud decided to follow this one big path and ignore the smaller ones for now. I followed him until I caught a glimpse of something strange. I stared at part of the wall of the cavern and I noticed a small crevice. Through the crevice, I saw the object that my eye caught a glimpse of: a small golden door. I tapped Cloud's shoulders and pointed towards the crevice.

"What's that?" I asked him. He looked towards where I was pointing and scrunched his eyes brows.

"No clue…" Cloud responded, "I'm guessing you want to check it out?"

"I mean it is a well-hidden room. So why not?" I smiled.

I walked towards the crack in the wall and squeezed through the tiny opening. I was afraid of getting stuck so I sucked in my gut and held my breath. I got through to the other side and heard Cloud call out.

"I can't fit through with my sword on my back. Here take it!" He handed me his sword and he slid through the crack also. I gave him back his sword and approached the door.

The golden door glistened even though there was no direct light touching it. I touched the door and it shined even brighter than before. I had to look away because it was just that bright, and since my eyes haven't adjusted to any light because of this cave. In moments, the light dimmed and the door was gone. Behind the door, a room that my eyes could not behold.

"Cloud, you're seeing this right?" I asked him while rubbing my eyes.

"I'm-I'm not sure…" Cloud stuttered. We walked inside the golden room and a notification popped up in front of me. I read the message in front of me aloud.

"Congratulations. You have found the _Vault of the Ancients_."

"The _Vault of the Ancients_?" Cloud marveled, "I have never seen this place before. This must be new…"

Inside the room, behind the golden door, hid mounds of Cor, weapons, equipment, and jewels. So much that not even my inventory could possibly fit everything here.

"Be careful of what you take. If everything is safe to take, then don't take too much. We do not want to be over encumbered while fighting." Cloud warned.

I only partially listened to what Cloud told me. I was too amazed and stunned from the amount of treasures that are in this room. My first instinct was to grab all the Cor that is lying around the room. With Cor being weightless, there is no need for me to hold back from that. I quickly picked up all the Cor on the ground and Cloud also helped. As we dug through the mounds of gold, I grabbed anything that also looked valuable to me. I even found a large mound of Magic Crystals. Unfortunately, the only crystals I found were _Teleport Crystals_ and _Corridor Crystals_. Both are useless to me now, but once I get out of here, these super expensive _Corridor Crystals_ are going to help me make a fortune as well as transporting stuff if we ever do any relocating.

Just then, a giant broadsword caught my eye. It was not as big as Cloud's, but it almost got to it. It reminded me about the first time I met Rizer, where he wielded a giant claymore. Its guard had a shiny white color to it, almost like snow. A small yellow gem glistened at the center of the guard. The blade itself had serrations to it, just like Rizer's old blade, _Masjid's Fang_. The serrations to this sword were tinier, but much sharper. I picked the sword up and touched it with my finger to check out its stats.

The sword's name is _Dawnbreaker_. One look at the stats of the sword was enough for me to smile greedily. There is no way this sword can be  Player-Crafted. Its stats were beyond the levels of my own sword that Rizer crafted for using the best materials we had. It's a Demon Sword. Not only that, it is a Unique Sword.

"You don't have the _STR_ requirements to wield that sword." Cloud pointed out.

"Oh, don't worry, it's not for me." I told him, "It's for me friend, though I don't think he has the _STR_ requirements either. Let's not spend anymore time here and collect all the Cor."

"Yes. Let's make haste." Cloud declared.

I picked up _Dawnbreaker_ and we continued taking as many valuables as possible. By the time the vault was nearly deprived of any Cor, I had already gained two Giga Cor. Two billion Cor.

"I collected one Giga. That should add up to three Giga." Cloud stammered, amazed by how much wealth was in this room.

Along with three Giga, I also picked up a bunch of jewels and accessories that were lying around. One of those accessories, was a silver ring. It stood out completely from all the golden items in the room. I fit it into my right hand's ring finger and observed it. Nothing extremely special. It had engravings of roses and thorns. I kept twisting it until I found an engraving of a skull entwined by the thorns. Its two eyes were miniscule black opals. Seeing the skull made me feel uncomfortable since I was afraid of the Voices spilling, but I heard no Voices in my head. I sighed in relief and was about to exit the treasure room with Cloud when another item caught my eye.

I headed over to the pile which the item was in and picked it up. It was a necklace. Its chain was a very thin chain made of silver. But what caught my eye was the purple diamond it held. Looking at the diamond reminded me of Violet since violet is her favorite color. Yes… I will give this to her once I'm out of here. I stashed this last item into my inventory and signaled Cloud that we are leaving. Right before passing through the door, a pop-up message appeared before me. It read:

"There are still items in this room! Once you leave this room, it will be locked forever. Are you sure you want to leave?"

Without hesitation, I chose to leave the room and we exited. The golden door closed behind us and then the door itself disappeared, leaving no traces of a room ever being there in the first place. All that was left was a solid stone wall.

"If only our inventory spaces were bigger." Cloud sighed.

"Yeah… If they were only bigger…" I agreed with him.

 **A week later**

Something's been watching us. Cloud and I can feel it, but we can't see it. It is nearby, and sometimes, the cavern starts shaking for some random reason. Whenever it does, the monsters around us would scream and run away. Because of this phenomenon, we have had it easy walking around the dungeon, but we are also getting desperate since not even Cloud knows the prescence stalking us, nor the cause of the tremors.

That happened two days ago. Now, the boss room door stood in front of us, at the other side of a river of blood behind a giant black gate. In front of the black gate, a giant monster sat there sleeping. Although it looked like a mound of black stuff, I knew for sure it was a monster. I could see a red cursor above its head, indicating a monster, but I couldn't identify its name as I was still too far away from it.

Furthermore, the only way to cross the river is a makeshift raft nearby us. Next to the raft, a ghostly human skeleton stood there, smiling at a goofy way as if the skeleton were a senile elder. The name, _Charon the Ferryman_ , hovered above the ghost's head. The raft was only big enough to fit two people of certain sizes. We would most definitely capsize if more weight was added or the center of balance shifted.

Worst of all was the river itself. Although the bloody waters seemed to be calm, sounds emanated from beneath the surface. Large stalagmites protruded from the water's surface, giving off steam as if it were signaling that it was hot. There were also faces in the river… Faces of people, lying in rest. When a tiny insect-type monster touched the water where the faces lie, a ghost came from the water and swallowed the monster up. It left no trace of there even being a monster, or the face of the dead person at the spot where the insect landed.

"I've never gotten this far in this hell hole." Cloud admitted, "I have no clue what to do from here on out. But from the looks of it, we have to get that NPC to help us cross the river."

"Can we at least check if the water is fine?" I asked him. Cloud looked at me as if I were insane. Honestly, I may if I suggested such a thing as what I said just now.

"You saw what those faces did to that monster. We can't even see what other things are inside the water, let alone how deep it is."

"I'm still checking though." I affirmed my resolve. I walked up to the shore of the river and crouched down.

Being much closer, I can feel the pain this river holds. This is not an ordinary river, but I am still curious. I slowly reached my hand out to find a place where a face wasn't located and touched the water. I felt perfectly fine until I heard crying. It wasn't one of the Voices I've been hearing, but rather something else. The crying continued until even more sounds of people crying invaded my head. A memory popped up into my head. The memory of me seeing Violet crying as Rizer dug my grave. And then another memory of Paradox crying in a cave-

Wait… This cave… This is the cave Cloud and I stayed at during our time training. I have no memory of seeing Paradox at the Edge of the World, nor her crying except at the Night of the Forest. Is this a memory, or just a vision I'm seeing?

Suddenly, Cloud pulled me back from the river and all the crying stopped. I shook my head, getting rid of the nauseating feeling that was growing inside.

"This river… I remember now. This is the River Acheron." Cloud explained to me. "It is one of the five rivers of the Underworld. The river of sorrow."

"How exactly do you know this information?" I asked him since not even I know what this River Acheron is, despite my love for history and mythology.

"It seems that the system has created me this way." Cloud responded. I merely sighed since I still didn't understand how complex Cloud's artificial intelligence is.

"Well how are we going to cross this river then? Is the ferryman the only way?" I looked at the smiling skeleton. The way the ghost stared at me sent shivers down my spine.

" _Charon the Ferryman_ is the only way to get to that room. This river and that monster ahead will be our final obstacle before fighting our darkness."

"Well what in the world are we waiting for?" I hurried over to the skeletal NPC and stood in front of it. It reached out its hands and I pulled out one Cor from my pocket. "Gotta' pay the ferryman for a boat ride. At least, that's what I remember about how one gets safe passage in the Underworld."

"I see…" Cloud followed behind me and gave the ghost a single piece of Cor. The ferryman held onto the two pieces of Cor tightly and drifted off towards the raft.

The ferryman motioned for us to get on the raft and we hesitantly did so. When I took my first step on the raft, it immediately started rocking. As I tried to balance myself, Cloud also got on the raft and sat down right away, holding onto the sides of the raft. His face made it seem like he was queasy.

"Hey Cloud, you okay?" I asked him curiously.

"I'm fine… I just don't do so well in transportation." He responded.

I stifled a laugh and signaled _Charon the Ferryman_ to go. The raft slowly moved through the water. The boat avoided all the ghosts in the water as well as the numerous stalagmites.

We were halfway across when the mound of black next to the boss room door started moving. Six glowing red eyes glared at us. When the monster began standing up, I thought those eyes were part of one face. I was completely mistaken when a faint light illuminated the monster. In front of us, stood _Cerberus the Guardian of Hell._ Its three heads snarled at us as saliva dripped from its mouth. Right above its heads were five health bars.

"This one isn't a boss, but it is definitely not something we should take lightly. Consider it a _Field Boss_ because of our levels being fairly high." Cloud mumbled.

"And I thought all we had to do was cross this river safely." I sighed.

The raft got closer and closer to the other side of the river, where the boss room was located at. When the raft touched the shoreline, Cloud and I both jumped off hastily and charged the mini-boss. At the same time, the raft behind us disappeared and the flames erupted from the ground around us. _Cerberus_ started barking with its three heads and prepared itself for the fight. Cloud handled the front side of the dog with the heads while I attacked it from the flank. But when I tried hitting the dog's leg with my sword, the blade bounced back in recoil. The noise it made from the attack sounded like metal hitting rock.

"Its hide doesn't seem to be as soft as it looks Cloud." I shouted out to him.

I tried hitting it again, this time using a Sword Skill to make my attack more powerful. Once again, the blade bounced harmlessly off the dog.

"You want to switch and deal with the heads while I try to pierce its hide?" Cloud shouted to me.

"Yeah, but once you pierce the hide we should switch back since I can attack much faster than you can. Plus, I don't think my sword is big enough to fend off three hungry little puppies at once." I shouted back in response.

We switched positions, slightly confusing the dog but it recovered quickly. Cloud used a Sword Skill on the dog and his attack also bounced off the three-headed mutant canine, surprising him. As he tried using other attacks, I distracted _Cerberus_ from attacking Cloud by constantly poking at its faces. Every time it tried to bite me, I had to dodge away. I also had to keep track of my position when dodging so I don't accidentally leave myself open for the other head to get. This pattern of hit and run repeated itself several times until the dog suddenly yelped in pain. I looked over to Cloud, whose fist was glowing yellow.

"It seems that only your bare hands can damage this _Field Boss_." Cloud deduced.

"Well, I guess I'm going to have to thank you for training me in Hand-to-Hand Combat and Martial Arts." I told Cloud as I sheathed my weapon.

Showing no fear towards the three-headed beast, I activated _Embracer_ and punched _Cerberus_ square on the nose of its center head. The dog showed recoil due to the power of the attack and I saw its health bar drop slightly. Fortunately, the Post-Motion Delay wasn't exactly long since it was a Martial Arts Sword Skill so I had time to dodge the attacks from the other two heads. Even if the boss fight looks easy, I still can't be cocky and recklessly punch the gatekeeper. Just by looking at Cloud right now, I could tell his concentration has doubled and is being extremely cautious.

We kept punching the tough hide of the dog, slowly wittling its health down while increasingly making it angrier then before. This anger did not help whatsoever as it only seemed to fuel the dog's adrenaline; its attacks becoming faster and seemingly more ferocious. The dog's red eyes began glowing a much brighter red, giving off a sinister vibe. When I punched the central head of Cerberus right on its nose, its other two heads looked at me and opened its mouth which began forming giant spheres of light. Knowing full well of what was going to happen, I quickly jumped away as two yellow orbs of energy collided against each other at the location where I was standing at.

I should've backed off even more since the explosion created was about the size of the dog itself. The flames covered _Cerberus_ completely and even managed to push Cloud back, who was much farther than I was. When I tried standing up, I felt a weird sensation on my hands and noticed that it was impaled by some very pointed rocks. In fact, my whole body has been impaled by them and I didn't even notice it until now. When I looked back to my original location, I noticed that the ground beneath was destroyed and fragmented. The rock must've been blown to bits and launched it at me as if it were a shrapnel.

I carefully removed the lodged pieces of rock in my body, losing health each time the shrapnel is pulled out since there were somehow serrations on the rock which only continued to tear my body as I pulled it out. It was as if the attack had transformed the pieces of rock that it blew up into some very dangerous projectile as it was flying towards me. Thankfully, the rocks were only tiny and most of them were blocked by my armor, which is on the verge of breaking due to how much it has been through without Rizer's repairs.

"Even with all those choices it had for a gatekeeper, it chooses Heracles and his labors…" Cloud muttered as he moved beside me. His words made me give him a questioning look.

"What about Heracles and his twelve labors?" I asked him. Cloud then looked at me funny as if I were joking.

"What are you talking about?" Cloud questioned me as we dodged the incoming attacks from _Cerberus._

"You just said something about Heracles and his labors. I recall the twelfth one being him having to capture Cerberus from the Underworld and bring him back to the Earth. Hades made him vow to only use his bare hands when fighting Cerberus, which is why it became one of his hardest labors."

"Mortifer, I have no clue who you are talking about. Who is this Heracles fellow and how is he related to Cerberus?" Cloud shook his head. Another wave of fireballs was coming for us and we dove far away from the explosion.

"But you just mentioned his name, which is why we're talking about Heracles in the first place! Do you not remember?!" I exclaimed.

"No! I don't!" he yelled back from the other side of the dog monster.

Did I simply mishear Cloud? Or did he really forget about his theory on Heracles? What exactly did he mean by something choosing Heracles and his labors? The way he said _it_ made it seem like he was familiar with whatever he was talking about. Whatever it is, I need to ask him later since we're still fighting Cerberus, who now only has two health bars remaining.

When we managed to drop the dog's second health bar below half, Cerberus became completely enraged and let out a piercing howl which echoed in the dungeon, causing the River Acheron to form waves. The dog's red eyes turned green and a black smoke started covering the dog, as if it were leaking it out from under its skin. When _Cerberus_ reared upwards, its two front paws ignited with green flames. Cloud and I knew better than to just sit there and watch. So, we ran away, behind large rocks as its paws landed back down to the ground and created a shockwave of fire.

At first I thought I was safe since I was protected by the rock in front of me. Once I saw the other rocks closer to _Cerberus_ get disintegrated by the shockwave, I knew that I had to dodge it somehow. Instictively, I jumped off the ground and I saw Cloud do the same. The rock in front of me turned to dust and the ground below me turned black as if it was struck by a plague. Just like _Cerberus,_ the ground began radiating a black smoke, but it is much thinner than the dog's, like mist. When I took a whiff of the contaminated air, I smelled something unusual. The smell of gasoline.

"Mortifer, this black mist… The smell is giving me a bad vibe." Cloud said as he approached me from my right.

All three of Cerberus's heads began forming fireballs with sickly green flames. My mind panicked and I quickly grabbed Cloud and took off into a sprint. Fortunately, Cloud didn't question my actions, but it didn't matter since I didn't have enough time to make it out of the black mist.

Right as the _Field Boss_ shot out its fireballs at the ground in front of it, the entire contaminated area, including the air above it, lit up in bright green flames. The ignition of the flames was somewhat explosive, so I was sent flying along with Cloud as we were caught by the very edge of the fiery attack. My health bar dropped to half from that attack alone, even though I was only caught at the very edge of it. I previously had more than three quarters of my health since I dodged most of Cerberus's attacks, yet this one barely hit me and still managed to drop me this low. What are those green flames? They remind me of the dream I had. That shadow giant with green flaming fist. Taking note of that, I did not want to know what those flames can do when I'm diretly hit by them.

 _Cerberus_ continuously shot out more of these green flames via fireballs from his mouth. The attacks were continuous, giving me and Cloud no time to even fight back. Each fireball that hit the ground caused a mini-explosion, creating a small crater on the ground and leaving it desolated. Its attack continued forever, tiring me out completely. That's when I noticed something extremely strange happen.

As I passed by a flat rock to evade the incoming projectiles, I expected the fireball to destroy the smooth, lean rock only to see it bounce off it instead, surprising me. I don't recall the fireballs ever being deflected during this whole time, and that's when I took a good look at Cloud's sword. The insanely large weapon has a very large blunt area that also happens to be very smooth. I then observed Cloud's health and he was currently nearing the red zone, as was I. Judging from the damage I endured when I barely got hit by the first attack, Cloud will surely come close to dying should this absurd plan of mine not work.

"Cloud! Can you try to deflect the fireballs using the blunt end of your sword?!" I shouted out to him.

"Deflect it? Are you sure about that?" he shouted back in response.

"I just saw a fireball bounce off a smooth rock and flew off up into the air before disappearing. I'm still not sure since I only saw it once, but its better than nothing!"

"If this doesn't work, I may die, meaning we must start all over." Cloud warned me as he drew out his sword.

I watched as the NPC stood his ground and faced the fireballs that were headed straight for him. He focused on one, as the other two next to it will miss him. He got into a stance and prepared to attack the green fireball. Just like a baseball player, he batted the fireball with the blunt end of his massive sword and the fireball bounced harmlessly off it, heading straight towards Cerberus, who noticed the counterattack and quickly dodged it before resuming back to its fiery rampage.  
"Do you happen to have another sword just like yours Cloud?" I asked him.

"Even if I did, I doubt you'd be able to use it. It requires an extremely high _STR_ attribute that even you don't have despite that Darkness Blade of yours that gives you a tremendous boost in it." He responded, "You just keep dodging the attacks and I'll try to reflect those fireballs straight to _Cerberus_."

I followed his plan and kept dodging the endless waves of green flames. Whenever Cloud got an open shot, he would hit the fireballs back to the boss, only for them to miss since the agile dog would dodge them. However, once Cloud began using Sword Skills in combination with his counterattacks, the reflected fireballs began moving much faster, giving _Cerberus_ less time to react to them. Cloud took a risk and used a very powerful Sword Skill to hit the fireball fast enough to attack _Cerberus_. Sure enough, the ball went straight to one of its heads and caused the three-headed dog to collapse to the ground, stunned. Its second health bar emptied out, leaving only one health bar left.

"Now's your chance! Go Mortifer!" Cloud shouted, unable to move the rest of his body due to the Post-Motion Delay.

I stopped running around the dog and ran straight for its center head. As I ran, I activated _Embracer_ on my right hand and locked on to _Cerberus_. To gain even more force into my punch, I leaped into the air, and punched it straight between its two large eyes. Its body violently shook as if it were having a spasm. The mark I left glowed bright red as if on fire. I watched as _Ceberus_ 's body exploded into millions of shapes before fading completely. The Post-Fight Screen appeared before me, showing me the rewards I obtained.

I received one-hundred-thousand Cor, as well as enough experience to level up to level seventy-three. I am most definitely the highest-level person in this game. Not even _that guy_ should be this high level. After all, the monsters in this dungeon gives me more experience than anything in the current floors. Cloud and I also monopolized every farming ground in the whole game, slowing down or even stopping other players from getting up to the next level. It has been a month now though, so I'm confident the players can farm normally now. Although because of that, there may be some competition between guilds and other players due to their greed to get their next Skill Slot or something.

Continuing on with the rewards I got for defeating _Cerberus the Guardian of Hell_ , I also obtained a _Last Attack Bonus._ It was a piece of armor, a cloak. I compared its stats with my current cloak which Violet made me and was surprised. The cloak, called the _Herculean Black Cloak,_ provided something that almost all of the cloaks in this game could not provide: armor, and lots of it. In this game, cloaks are mainly used for being stealthy, or keeping warm and never for combat. Using cloaks for combative purposes is absurd unless your cloak happens to be made of very expensive and heavy material. The _Herculean Black Cloak_ however is a paradox, as it was both lightweight, and provided armor. However as expected, I required an even higher _DEX_ level to use it, which also confused me since why would one need a higher _DEX_ to wear clothing?

"Mortifer… Look behind us…" Cloud mumbled as he tugged against the cloak I was currently wearing.

I looked behind me and noticed that the river was now covered in a thick black fog, making the blood-red waters barely noticeable. _Charon the Ferryman_ was nowhere to be seen as well as the land at the other side of the river. Everything was just covered by a thick black fog. A deep growling sounded from all over the cavern, making me uneasy. The same presence that I've been feeling since the 2nd Floor of this dungeon is more sinister than ever. As I looked into the fog, I felt like I was staring right at the being with the unfathomable presence. That feeling was proven to be true when two green eyes appeared in the middle of the fog, right ahead of us.

Those eyes were the same as the ones I saw in my dreams. The green flames burned with fury. I could just feel them frowning down on me. I looked at Cloud, who also seemed to be uneasy at the thing staring right at us. If I remember correctly from my dream, that thing is some sort of shadow giant. Suddenly, a large green ball of flame appeared one side of the giant, while another set of flames ignited on the opposite side, revealing some sort of fiery chain. It raised its chain and whipped it to our direction. Cloud and I dodged out of its way and saw as the chain wrapped itself around a very large rock which was unharmed during our battle with _Cerberus_.

"Mortifer, I don't know what that is but it is best if we head to the boss room now." Cloud suggested as he pointed to the boss room door behind the black gate which _Ceberus_ was guarding. I nodded in response and we broke off into a sprint.

The two of us pushed the gate open and quickly closed it. The shadow giant shot out a fireball at us but the black gate nullified the attack, showing no harm done to it. The giant tried to use its fiery chain whip, only to get the same results. Instead of giving up however, the giant replaced its fireball and chain with two flaming swords. It charged and then began to relentlessly beat down on the gate, causing us to make a run for the boss room, just in case the gate falls.

"If that thing does pursue us into the boss room, then we need to finish up our darknesses as quickly as we can possibly do so. That being is far stronger than anything I have ever faced, except for maybe Sephiroth." Cloud declared.

"Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

/

/

/

 _If you guys are still reading this, then i'm pretty sure the long wait was not worth it. Anyways, if at some point the chapters seemed rush, well its because they are. I'm trying to finish this story before the New Year arrives. I have one more chapter to write and then the rest will only be revisions (which won't take long). Also, there are 35 chapters total, so yeah..._


	15. Chapter 14: Shadows

As we ran away from the giant shadow creature, a thin black fog ahead of us revealed the boss room door. Unlike the previous doors of the previous floors, this one did not hint what the theme of the bosses are. It was just the standard boss room door you would see in any normal Labyrinth. The same giant black steel door that can be opened by anybody despite it being the size of a two-story house.

Cloud and I didn't bother looking back at the rampaging monster, but we were also a bit hesitant on walking in. Cloud brought out two pink _Healing Crystals_ , surprising me since he still had some in stock. He gave me one to use and I did so without hesitation. I felt my body be reinvigorated as the two of us were brought back to full health.

"After so long, I've finally made it to this point." Cloud sighed in relief as he admired the door, "Thank you Mortifer, for making it here with me. I couldn't have gotten here without you."

"You kidding me? If you hadn't forced me to do all that training, I would've trying to fight those monsters at the first level. Since we've made it here though, those monsters are like ants to the ones located in this fourth level. That shadow giant however… Now that thing is a real monster." I mumbled as I looked back once again at the gate, although it is barely visible through the black fog.

"You ready to take on our darknesses?" Cloud asked me.

"Even if I didn't, I can't turn back. Let's go!"

The two of us put our hands against the cold black door and began pushing it open. Behind the door was a dark hallway with torches lighting up the path towards an even larger room with much more light. When we passed through the threshold, the black doors began closing behind us. The hallway's torches began burning even brighter, making the area well-lit.

The two of us already had our weapons drawn as we were being very cautious. As we approached closer to the open room, I began noticing that the light that was lighting up that room was coming from the ceiling. When we got close enough, there was just an enormous hole on the cavern's ceiling, letting a very blinding light leak into the room. Is that the sun? It is blinding and I can feel a warmth coming from it. I had to wait for my eyes to adjust just so I could properly see what was around me. When I looked ahead of me, there was a small set of steps leading up to some sort of throne. There was someone already sitting on it.

The man had long silver hair which flowed all the way down to his lower abdomen. He wore black armor just like Cloud and had a metal shoulder plate on his right shoulder. What truly made his appearance unique was the one black wing he had on his back. His other wing is missing, most likely torn off, that is assuming he even had one in the first place. Rested on his lap, a long silver blade that was shaped like a katana. In terms of length and reach, it beats Cloud since the blade itself was nearly three meters long. Being a katana however, the blunt end was nowhere near as big as Cloud's. That sword would beat Cloud's in speed, but not strength. As for cutting ability, it all depends on who can swing their sword even harder.

"So you've finally arrived here, Cloud…" the silver-haired man greeted the NPC, "And it seems you have brought a friend. What is your name, creature of darkness?"

I got irritated a bit for him calling me a creature of darkness, but I knew I shouldn't get angry at him. I looked at Cloud for guidance and he nodded, saying it was fine for me to talk to him.

"I am Mortifer. Although I already have a good idea who you are, I just want to make sure. Are you Sephiroth?" I asked him.

"Indeed I am. I am this darkness that your friend here has been looking to eradicate, though I doubt that is never going to happen." Sephiroth taunted, causing Cloud to raise his blade to him.

"Shut up!" Cloud yelled. The tone in his voice hinted that he was going to start a fight. I held my sword ready but there was still one thing in my mind that left me confused. Where is my darkness?

Before I could even ask either of them, Sephiroth appeared in front of me and Cloud, holding his long katana in one hand. Cloud quickly jumped in front of me and held his sword up to block the incoming attack. I was surprised since I've never seen Cloud move like that. Has he always been able to move like that? Either way, I should thank him since I could've died from Sephiroth's attack. It was so fast that I couldn't even see it with the blade being so thin.

Sephiroth continued to attack with blinding speed. Cloud blocked most of them but an attack managed to slip through and made its way to me. I quickly raised my sword to block it, only to be sent flying from the force of Sephiroth's swing. I flew a couple of meters away from the two NPC fighters, shocked at the power the two of them held. Sephiroth didn't even use the blunt end of his blade to send me flying away, yet here I am, out of both of their reaches.

The two swordsmen continued clashing. The sound of their blades hitting against each other resonated through the air. I could feel the vibrations and even see them through Sephiroth's sword. As the fight carried on, the outer edges of the room grew increasingly darker until the only visible places where the places that the light hit. Afterwards, something strange happened.

Out from the darkness, a dark circle on the ground came creeping out. This dark circle then started forming into different shapes until it ended up as a silhouette of someone. In fact, it was more like someone's shadow. This "shadow" then began coming out of the ground, like a picture coming to life. More darkness was absorbed until the "shadow" had a realistic, 3-D appearance. However, its transformations didn't stop there. The shadowy silhouette began morphing into something else, slowly gaining visible colors to it other than black. At the end of its transformation, I couldn't believe my eyes. I was left shocked as I looked at the "shadow", which now bore an uncanny appearance to Violet.

"V-Violet?" I asked it, making sure I wasn't just seeing things.

"Yes Mortifer? Is something wrong?" it responded with Violet's voice, shocking me even more.

No, this can't be possible. Just a second ago this was some dark circle on the ground, and now… Now its like I'm talking to Violet herself. It wore the same clothes she wore the last time I saw her, the day before we entered the cave. Her voice sounds just like how I remembered it to be. Its facial features, hair, and everything was a perfect match. However, the only difference were her eyes. Although Violet's eyes are naturally dark, the eyes I looked upon now were completely drained of any color. They were as dark as the night itself.

"Mortifer, don't fall for it! It's only an illusion that the Cardinal obtained from your memories!" Cloud shouted.

"I-I know its an illusion, but it just looks too-"

I cut myself off, processing Cloud's words. Cardinal? Obtaining my memories?

"Wait Cloud, what do you mean by this, _Cardinal_ thing, obtaining my memories?" I questioned him even though I knew he was in the middle of a fight.

The two fighters broke away from each other. Cloud was trying to recover his breath while Sephiroth merely gave him a questioning look.

"Have you not told him the truth Cloud? You really are pathetic." Sephiroth spat.

"The truth? Wait, Cloud… Is there something you've been hiding from me?" I questioned him, slightly desperate for his answer.

"Well… As you have noticed, I am no ordinary Quest-NPC." Cloud began speaking while recovering his breath, "My intelligence level is far superior, to normal NPCs. I am aware that I am only a program in this game that is there to carry out its function, which is not something a normal NPC can do. I did not want to say it until the time was right, but it seems Sephiroth is forcing me to do so. I am a Mental Health - Counceling Program, prototype three: codename Cloud."

"W-What is that supposed to mean then?" I asked him.

"I am the third version of a highly complex Top-down AI made to monitor the mental health of players inside this game you call Sword Art Online. Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of this VRMMORPG, took the strengths of the previous two versions of the Mental Health – Counceling Programs and combined it into one to make me. However, my program went haywire when I was put into the Cardinal System. The Cardinal is the primary driving and management force of this game. It creates new quests for players, managed item drops, monster spawn locations, and everything else. When the Cardinal tried giving me a solid form, it took influence from a pre-existing story in the real world, and created what I am now. Because of that however, my AI also had its own mental problems even though I am not human myself. My problem was Sephiroth."

"Just like Cloud here, I am also a Top-down AI." Sephiroth added into the conversation, "Although I am not some helpful program like he is, no… I am here for different reasons. I am here to combat against Cloud as well as inform players like you about the truth."

"The truth?" I asked him.

Before the man could reply, Cloud resumed his barrage of attacks on him, but Sephiroth easily blocked the attacks. He looked at me and gave me an evil grin. It made me uneasy, but I continued watching him as well as keeping an eye on the shadow Violet right next to me.

"The truth? The truth is, is that Cloud brought you this far into the dungeon just to tell you that you are not able to vanquish your so-called darkness inside of you. It is impossible for one to get rid of their darkness and Cloud knows that very well."

I was completely shocked from his response. I looked to Cloud who didn't even glance at me, but instead kept attacking Sephiroth as if he didn't even hear what the man just said.

"Cloud, is that true? Is it true that I can't get rid of these Voices inside my head? They're not some in-game thing but something that's actually in my real head?!" I desperately asked him. Instead of Cloud responding, Sephiroth did it for him.

"There is no such thing as a being of pure light or darkness. Cloud is just like you. People think he walks in the so-called "light" but he knows that he has a darkness inside of him that he must defeat to walk in the light again. However, he tries to defeat me despite knowing that no matter what he does, I will always come back. I've guided him through so many journeys even if all I did was hinder him. That shadow right there will show you the same thing…"

I turned around and became even more shocked when I saw four other figures standing right beside shadow Violet. To the shadow's right side, stood Rizer and Paradox. On its left side was Kirito and Suguha, which also made me confused. Why in the world are all five of them here? Better yet, why is my brother and cousin also standing beside them? My mind just couldn't comprehend the current situation I was in. Sephiroth just said that everything I've been doing up to now has been in vain, and then these shadows that bare an uncanny resemblance to these people who are in my memories appears out of nowhere.

"What's wrong Mortifer? You look a bit flustered." Rizer questioned me.

"Probably because Suguha and I are here as well." Kirito told the shadowy entity.

The way they speak, their voices, appearance, facial expressions, everything… Everything about them is how I remembered. Only because of that am I extremely confused. What is this Cardinal System capable of and how did it create these, things… Heck, even Suguha is here even though she's not even in the game currently. She is outside just waiting for Kirito to wake up again.

"Mortifer…" Cloud began talking whilst fighting Sephiroth, "Do you want to know the reason why the system thinks you are dead?"

"Y-Yes…" I hesitantly replied, still confused at everything going on around me. Heck, even the Voices which had been silent for a while is now screaming in my head.

"During the night when you ran away from your friends, you ran up to the cave where I was in. At first, I had no clue how a player managed to get up there through the violent storm nor did I know what to do since you were screaming and crying as you ran up. When you ran out of the cave however, you launched yourself off the cliff and began falling to the ocean below. Since there seemed to be no possible way for you to live, the system regarded you as dead even before you hit the water. That's when I teleported to the bottom of the cliff and saved you right before you hit the water. I then accessed an administrator console that I was built in with to recover some of the data that the Cardinal System had deleted. I also stopped your NerveGear from inputting any microwave signals, which is why you don't remember much of what happened that night. That is the reason why you are still alive to this day, and the reason why you are like a ghost to the players of this game, and even the super-intelligent system that Kayaba Akihiko had made."

"Then… What about the fact that these shadows look a lot like people I know?" I questioned him, pointing at the shadow beings. Cloud broke away from Sephiroth and stopped to catch his breath.

"As for that, I have no clue…" Cloud muttered, "The _Shadows of Sorrow_ will take on the appearance of people who are dear to your heart, yet I have no clue how Kayaba Akihiko managed to create something like that."

"The _Shadows of Sorrow_?" I asked, looking at the things behind me.

"A representation of your greatest fear. The fear of losing the ones close to you." Cloud stated.

The fear of losing people close to me? Like loved ones? Then, why is it that Kirito and Suguha are here too? When did we ever care about each other? I don't recall caring for my brother at all, let alone my cousin. If even Kirito and Suguha are here, then why isn't Asuna? After all, she treated me better than both of my family.

"It is true that once you defeat the _Shadows of Sorrow_ , that darkness of yours won't truly go away." Cloud began speaking, "But by defeating them, you can find your light."

"My light?" I asked him.

"Your friends Mortifer. They are your light." Cloud smiled as he charged at Sephiroth once again. The two then came to a standstill and their bodies began floating up to the air.

"Even with your light surrounding you, the darkness will always be there. Remember that Mortifer." Sephiroth stated.

"I'm sorry I couldn't really help you in this Mortifer. I'm sorry that you will have to remain with those Voices of your time here in Sword Art Online. Please take this gift from me, as a token of friendship and as a sign of apology. I do hope you will find your light soon. I must go now, and search for my own."

"Embrace the darkness Mortifer, and become one with it. Then and only then, will you be able to survive this game." Sephiroth said.

Him and my mentor gave off a blinding light, forcing me took look away. I felt a wave of heat wash over me, and when the light finally cleared, the two of them were gone. A screen appeared before me, informing me of two new items in my inventory. The _Sword of Light_ and _Sword of Darkness_. I opened my inventory and equipped the _Sword of Light_. I felt power surging through my body and the blade shone like a star. Its light revealed the entirety of the room, which had been covered in darkness.

I then pulled out the _Sword of Darkness_. A black aura oozed out of the blade, as if the blade was a living organism by itself. The black aura also seemed to wrap around me like a tendril of shadows. Not only that, the room's darkness began returning until it was back to was it was before I pulled out the _Sword of Light_. I was so mesmerized by the two weapons, I didn't even notice that there was still something else in the room watching me.

"How long are you going to be playing with those two new swords of yours?" Kirito's voice sounded.

I looked around and spotted the _Shadows of Sorrow_. Each of the shadows now had a health bar above them. One bar for Violet, Rizer, Paradox, Kirito, and Suguha. Each of them were now in their battle gear and had weapons ready. Suguha had her kendo gear on, but wielded an actual katana instead of a bamboo sword. Paradox wielded a dagger, but I could see that it was dipped in some sort of poison. The liquid that dripped on the floor dissolved the very stone that it touched.

Before I could start fighting them, another screen of light appeared before me. I had received another item, or so I thought. It was actually a Skill. I hastily opened my Skills menu to review my newly earned skill and became very curious to see what it was. I couldn't find it until I scrolled all the way down towards where the Darkness Blade was located. The skill read Dual Blades, and the symbol showed two swords crossing each other. I then noticed that the _Shadows of Sorrow_ were slowly approaching me, and so I moved at an even faster pace and began reading the summary.

A Unique Skill that lets the player wield two blades and perform certain Sword Skills that utilizes both weapons at once. My brain malfunctioned a bit when I read that it was a Unique Skill. I have two of those now? With the two I have and the Holy Sword which is owned by the man named Heathcliff, there is now a total of three Unique Skills in this entire game. Two of them are owned by me. Surely I am the strongest player, right?

I didn't even get the chance to daydream about that thought, as the _Shadows of Sorrow_ had already sneaked up on me. Kirito elbowed me right on the face, following up with an attack with his sword but I blocked it with ease. However, Suguha followed up with Kirito's attack, as well as Paradox. The speed at which they attacked far exceeded what I remembered them to be capable of. The power of Paradox's attack was also on par with a decent fighter. Are their strengths increased, or distributed evenly to each of the shadows.

Even if their strengths are increased or evenly distributed, there is no way I can win this fight. Not because there are just too many of them too handle, but because they just look so real. My mind… It can no longer tell the difference between dream and reality. Cloud and Sephiroth didn't help that much either, since their arguments about light and darkness made these dreams of mine impossible to happen. Even if I didn't care much about Kirito or Suguha, that doesn't mean I want to hurt them, let alone kill them.

My mind and body just screamed at me to go and attack the _Shadows of Sorrow_ and used survival as the main catalyst. However, my heart was much stronger than both of them, and it refused to let me lay a hand on them. I had promised Violet that I wouldn't hurt her. Even if it is a shadow, my memories, and possibly the Voices, would haunt me for this scene. The same goes for everyone else.

And so, the _Shadows of Sorrow_ continued beating me down, as if I were some punching bag. My body would protect itself, but it would not dare hurt the shadows, for they reminded me of my friends far too much. I've gotten so far… I managed to overcome _The Black Widow_ , _Ragnarok the Twilight Dragon_ , and even _The Fatal Scythe_. Yet here I am, helpless against a fear that I had never expected. The _Shadows of Sorrow_ …

My health was below half now, nearing the red zone. The shadows kept beating down on me, not saying a single word or showing signs of mercy. Even Violet's shadow showed no emotion as she stabbed me multiple times with her rapier. Is this really how I'm going to die? Helpless against fake copies of my friends and family? How pathetic and stubborn I must be…

"Good bye Violet… Everyone…" I said, bidding my farewells to the shadows, hoping it would somehow reach everyone else.

As I said my farewell, my brother Kirito performed a Sword Skill which brought my health down to a bare sliver. Even a small punch has a good chance of killing me. I wanted it to just drop down to zero but it didn't, making me grimace slightly. Just hit me one more time and then I won't have to worry about these Voices inside my head anymore. That's when I suddenly felt energy coursing through my right hand, where I tightly held the _Sword of Darkness_.

My heart skipped a beat and my vision sharpened. What… What is this sensation that I am feeling? It feels nice, yet I could sense a very evil force powering it. The light that radiated from the _Sword of Light_ began fading until its aura was reduced to a bear minimum. The black, shadowy tendrils of the _Sword of Darkness_ grew bigger and became much more active. My vision suddenly started turning blood-red, and the Voices within my head literally began screaming outside of my head. Each Voice echoed across the room. This unexpected event even scared the _Shadows of Sorrow_ , who are now looking around, trying to find the origins of the Voices.

I felt the energy in my muscles return and so I stood back up. I looked upon the shadows of my friends. The more I looked at them however, the hungrier I felt. What is this hunger that I feel? My nose is also picking up a rather delightful smell, but I can't make out what it is. Each and every one of my senses gave me incredibly tantalizing sensations, yet I couldn't figure out why. This hunger of mine is also becoming unbearable. I need to eat, but there is no food around.

I looked over to Suguha's shadow, whose face was covered by the kendo head protector she wore. Even though I couldn't see her face, I could sense her body's movements. She's shaking uncontrollably, due to fear. Fear of me. More energy pulsed through my body and I let my instincts take over.

My body jumped forward and attacked the shadow of my cousin with the two blades I wielded in my hands. When it attempted to block my attack, I sent Suguha flying towards the wall, causing the wall to break and fall on top of her. I rushed over to her immobile body and began a merciless beat down with my twin blades. I sliced off bits and pieces of her body until her health was reduced to zero, and the shadow disappeared. My vision made it seem like there was blood everywhere, but I could not feel the warmth of it at all. However, upon seeing the blood, my hunger reduced slightly, but the intoxicating sensations grew even stronger.

"Come here… Let me feast on your bodies!" a demonic voice sounded from my mouth. Is that really my voice? It doesn't sound like me at all, but I'm not complaining. I just want to eat!

I rushed over to Rizer and Paradox, who also tried to fend off my attacks only to do so in vain. I uppercut Paradox's shadow and she flew straight to the ceiling. She was stuck there and so I focused on fighting Rizer. I started off by literally disarming the wolf man, cutting of his right and left arms and preventing him from using his sword. I then sliced off his legs, leaving him looking like he was a limbless doll. I could see the fear on his face, which made my body shake in ecstasy. I crouched down, took Rizer's head, and began bashing it against the stone floor.

I repeatedly bashed his huge, scarred head into the ground until it had been reduced to a pulp. His health had dropped to zero long ago, but his body is just now disappearing. At the same time, Paradox's body on the ceiling was losing its stick, and so I held both of my swords straight up, ready to skewer to little girl's body. When the body fell and got itself stuck on my blades, I pulled the blades apart, splitting her body from her legs. Paradox's health also dropped to zero and the shadow disappeared. All that was left was Violet and Kirito.

"Mortifer, what are you doing to your friends?" Violet cried out.

"Katsumoto! Get a hold of yourself! Control the darkness!" Kirito yelled at me.

"No, I don't want to control it… This feeling is so intoxicating… I want more… More! Give me your blood!" I laughed maniacally as I charged straight for them.

I first jumped Kirito and kicked the man on the chin, sending him flying upwards. He managed to recover in mid-air and landed on his feet, but he was far too late. I activated a Sword Skill, meant for the Dual Blades, called _Double Circular_. I ran towards him and dove at him like a torpedo. I spun around and pierced him with the _Sword of Light_ , which I kept straight. After performing the spin, I landed and sliced my brother with the _Sword of Darkness_ , using the force I built from my spin to separate his upper body from his legs.

Before Kirito's upper body fell, I decapitated his head and kicked it towards Violet, who got hit by it since the projectile flew towards her in high speed. I didn't even bother looking at my brother's corpse as I was too excited to take Violet's life. I ran over and grabbed her by the throat. With one hand, I snapped her neck and watched as her lifeless body dropped down. I savored the moment by cutting her throat to let the blood out. All of this blood that I'm seeing is satisfying this hunger I have. I watched as the empty health bar disappeared, and so too did her body.

Afterwards, all my senses started reverting to normal again. My red vision cleared away, leaving my normal vision behind. The Voices were no longer screaming outside my head but remained inside of it. My hunger was gone and was replaced with fatigue. My mind and body also reverted back to normal. At first I was confused at what just happened due to a sudden dizziness, but then I remembered what I had done. I had killed all four of those shadows, using very brutal methods, in order to satisfy the very sudden bloodlust. When I looked at the corner of my vision where my health bar was located, an icon had appeared, indicating a cooldown timer for a certain ability. The symbol depicted a black skull.

"The _Yami no Saji_ …" I breathed out, shaking in fear.

Was that really the _Yami no Saji_? The feelings and energy did activate when I entered the red zone so it must be. But will I seriously turn into that villain again if I drop back down to the red zone? Dear god… I don't want that to happen again. I can hear them, the Voices of my friends and family. Even though they were merely shadows, I can hear them.

"I don't want this ability… I don't want this Darkness Blade anymore!" I began crying out of fear, "Kayaba! Please take it away! I can't do that ever again!"

The Voices felt more powerful than ever. My head hurts more than during my time in the _Yami no Saji_. It's so painful, yet why am I not passing out yet?! I just want this all to end! Please… Kill me… Kill me… Kill me!

 **The next day**

I could still hear them screaming. Even though I had fallen asleep, I did not receive any nightmares. I just heard the Voices throughout the entire time. How long had I been asleep? It felt like eternity, but it my sense of time was affected by the Voices, so it may have only been a day, or even a few hours. I'm too weak to do anything. Even as I said that however, I felt the entire cavern start shaking.

I thought it was just me, so I stayed in place and kept lying on the ground, bathing in the faint sunlight of the cave's ceiling. When the rumbling continued, I knew something was up. When I looked around, I noticed that the whole room was lit. The hallway which Cloud and I came from was covered in a dark black fog. On the opposite side of the room, there was a staircase leading upwards. The stairs however looked ancient. One step may cause it to gave way, and who knows what could be under that staircase. It could be just solid rock, or an endless pit.

I was trying to decide which one made more sense to me when the door from the hallway suddenly fell down to the ground. A whole cloud of darkness flooded into the room, and a shadowy figure emerged from it. At first, I couldn't tell what it was due to my blurry vision, but when my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I recognized it completely. It was the same monster which was trying to follow me and Cloud into this room before we entered it. The one that was trying to beat down on the gate. I can tell because it still held its two green flaming swords on its hands. Its green eyes also gave off a feeling of hatred and rage.

The creature of shadow roared and began charging towards me. My body went into a panicked state. I can't fight this. I don't want to enter the _Yami no Saji_ again, nor do I think even that ability can defeat this titan. I have no clue what it is or what it is capable of, and I have no intentions of finding out. I looked towards the staircase and made a run for it.

I ran up the staircase as fast as I could. I was still too fatigued to use my super speed, and so I ran at my normal maximum. The staircase slowly broke down behind me and sure enough, there was only an endless pit below it. The giant tried to catch up but with the staircase gone, it gave no chase. However, it smashed its fist against the wall of the cavern, causing it to shake even more. The cave ceiling above me started cracking and I knew that I needed to run, or else I would be caught in a cave-in and will definitely die.

And so I ran. I didn't look back since I had no reason to. After a minute straight of going up the stairs, I started seeing light. Not just any sort of light however, sunlight. The actual sunlight. The feeling of getting to see it again gave me more energy, but the cave began collapsing even faster. I began using my super speed since I felt like I could make it even if I do happen to pass out afterwards. The cave-in also decided to use its super speed and collapsed even faster than it should be.

My cloak got clipped and it was ripped off of my body, causing myself to trip momentarily. A rock fell and slammed into my face, causing my mask to turn in an oddway, blocking my vision. Instead of fixing it, I simply ripped it off to save time. I even removed my belt, which I only used to carry the sheathe of my sword. I threw it away without even saying good bye and reached my hand out for the light.

"Please make it… Please!" I shouted.

I ran out of the cave in extreme speed and got launched when I tripped on a rock that was sitting in front of the cave's exit. I could feel the sun on my back, and it felt amazing. I wish I could feel this sensation for a lot longer, but it seems to me that I have now endangered myself. I am still in the air, and my momentum is bringing me towards the edge of a cliff. Time slowed for me as I watched myself go over the edge and fall down into a river. When my body turned over to look at the sky, I reached my hand out to the birds flying above me.

"I guess this is where I really say good bye to this cruel world…" I whispered to myself.

The instant I hit the water, I felt a weird and painful sensation in my head. It was worst than a head ache and it was definitely not the Voices. I tried thinking up of things that could cause the severe pain, but my consciousness was fading. I tried to fight back from falling asleep but my body refused. As I closed my eyes, I watched the health bar which had regenerated during my sleep, drop down to the yellow zone, then orange, and then finally red. I didn't make it in time to see it fully empty out, and I sunk into darkness which I hoped would last forever.

/

/

/

...

I have no words of how disappointed I am at this chapter. In my opinion, it's complete trash and it took me so long to write it too. And if you guys don't remember, Final Fantasy stuff is in here (well Kingdom Hearts, but the characters are FF7). Anyways, this marks the end of the Cave chapters. The next chapter is just an epilogue to it and an introduction to the next section of the story.


	16. Chapter 15: A Tragic Discovery

**(Violet)**

 **The day after**

"Violet! Violet!" I heard a voice say, "Wake up! Wake up! I got important news!"

I slowly opened my eyes and saw Argo right in front of my face.

"Argo? What is it?" I yawned.

"Yesterday, someone saw a giant explosion of rock and dust a few hundred meters from where they were at. They went to check it out and found a cave that collapsed. You need to see it right now." Argo quickly said as she pulled on my arm. As she pulled me up, Rizer and Paradox also started to wake up from the commotion.

"Is it that time of the month Argo?" Rizer joked as he let out a long yawn. Argo slapped him on the face which effectively woke him up.

"I was just joking..." He said as he rubbed his cheek.

"I don't care. But right now, we need to get to the collapsed cave." She said as she pulled on my arm.

 **A few hours later**

"Argo! About time you got here!" said the player sitting on the cliff.

The man had black colored skin, and his appearance suggested that he seems a bit too old to be playing video games. He was a bit taller than Rizer, but clearly much bigger in terms of body and muscle size. He wore a large green cloak, big enough to be used as a blanket for myself or Paradox. He had a whip strapped to his belt and carried a large brown backpack on his back. On his hand, he had a large walking stick. Did this guy just get back from hiking or something?

"Hello, my name is Cayonz." The man greeted, "I am an acquaintance of Argo."

"Violet, also Argo's acquaintance." I replied as I shook his hand. His grip was surprisingly soft for a guy so big.

"Now since we're done with introductions, let's go straight to business." Argo interrupted.

"Very well." Cayonz agreed. He then began speaking, "Argo had informed me of this search for your friends a while ago and I decided to help us since I needed something to do as well as some money in my pockets. Yesterday, I was actually on my way to your cave of operations when I heard a loud explosion in the distance. When I looked up to the sky, I saw a huge dust cloud and decided to check it out. I came across this mountain range and cliffside cave. The cave had already collapsed long before I got here and so I started digging. I found these items in the cave and thought that it may belong to the person you are looking for since you said they are currently in a cave."

Cayonz opened his inventory and pulled out three items. He put the items in my arms and tears began forming in my eyes. One look at the items caused Paradox to drop to her knees and begin to sob. In my arms, I held a ripped black cloak, a very dirty black sword, and a broken skull mask. I scrutinized the mask to find any hints that this is not the same mask, only to find none. The mask which I held in my hands is Mortifer's.

"Those items... Can it be?" Rizer asked Cayonz.

"I found it deep in the cave-in. I was lucky enough to find it before the items despawned." Cayonz proposed.

Rizer was now pacing back and forth, his face full of anger. He kicked a medium sized rock off the cliff and let out a large cry filled with anger, pain and sorrow as he fell to his knees. The cry echoed, each one sounding emotionally worse than the last one. Argo took the items into her hands and inspected it. She looked down in disappointment.

"Although it now says that they are Cayonz's items, it still says that Violet and Rizer are the ones who had created them. Going from that fact, it could only mean…" she said in a gloomy tone, stopping since she realized saying more will only make it worse. Argo walked over and handed the items to me

"There has to be more. He should have been fast enough to get out of a cave in. Did you dig deeper? Did you check everywhere close to this place to see if you could find anybody nearby?" I stuttered, wanting to believe.

"I'm sorry, but that's all I found. The rocks became too big for me to dig up by myself. If there is anything else in that cave-in, it would most likely be gone now. I arrived at the cave as fast as possible and so no traces of anybody being nearby. That is while I used my Searching skill…" Cayonz apologized.

My heart shattered at his words. I hugged Mortifer's belongings, fell on my knees and broke down crying. Both Paradox and I cried like new-born babies without their mothers. My mind kept telling me that if I cried any more than I have already, I would run out of tears. Although he himself wasn't crying, Rizer was also very upset and tossed pebbles off the cliff into the river below us. This continued for five minutes. Argo and Cayonz simply watched us grieve, not knowing what to do. When I finally stopped crying, I took Mortifer's belongings and walked up to the edge of the cliff. I tossed them down to the river below and gave off a silent prayer, praying for him to still be alive. If not, then so be it…

"Argo call off the search, it's pointless now." I muttered as I walked to Cayonz. I opened my inventory and pulled out a large bag of Cor. Two-hundred-fifty-thousand in total, "Here is your reward, for finding Mortifer."

"No, I can't accept this." Cayonz denied the bag of money, "Not after witnessing how much pain you guys just went through. If I take the money, then I would feel like I was the one responsible for making you guys cry."

I then turned around to face Argo. I approached her and held out the bag of money to her.

"But… I didn't find him." She said, confused and saddened.

"It's not for finding him, it's for being a good friend." I told her while smiling.

She gingerly took the bag of money and held it. This time there was no smile of greed in her face, only empathy. I motioned for Rizer and Paradox and we started walking back home to the island.

 **(Mortifer)**

 **A month later November 2023**

 _What's going on? Where am I? I can't see anything or feel my eyes. I feel like I'm floating but I can't see anything. Why do I feel cold and wet? I hear water around me. Birds and crickets. The wind blowing past my face. I hear voices, but who's voice? What happened before this? I don't remember. I feel extremely tired and at the same time I feel like I've been sleeping for forever. I tried waking up, but my sleepiness won the fight and I once again fell back into a deep slumber._

 **(Violet)**

 **A month later December 2023**

It's Christmas Eve and we are inside preparing our celebration. It's been two months since we stopped searching for Mortifer but the mood of everyone hasn't changed. We are still mourning for him, but we have found ways to distract us. Rizer would go power leveling in a nearby island and Paradox would be working on Completeting her Potion Crafting. However, that wasn't the case for me as I couldn't find anything. Everything I've tried to do, a memory of Mortifer pops up in my head. I just couldn't forget him.

I was currently inside the house cooking food. Rizer and Paradox are by the couch waiting for me to finish making lunch. The food was about to finish cooking when we heard a knock on the door. We weren't expecting visitors. Rizer stood up and walked to the door. He opened the door and we were greeted by Cayonz.

"Cayonz, right? Argo's friend? What are you doing here?" Rizer calmly asked him.

"I uh… I wanted to see how you guys were doing." Cayonz answered back, "It's been two months since we last saw each other. May I come in? It's cold out here" Rizer let him in and he took a seat at the couch next to Paradox. I stopped preparing the food and also took a seat next to Rizer on the couch opposite of the other two.

"This is a nice home you have here. How much was it?" He asked.

"Actually, we built all of this from scratch. Though the land did cost us two million Cor. We sold most of our stuff and took as many power leveling spots as we possibly could to buy it." I told him.

"Honestly, I'm impressed." Cayonz said as he looked around.

"So why are you here, really?" Paradox asked him, noticing that he was lying. Cayonz let out a big sigh.

"I've had my fair share of losing people close to me. Seeing you guys that day made me remember that old memory, and it also made me feel a little bit guilty for putting you guys through that pain. And so, I took a gamble and asked Argo where you guys lived. She was hesitant at first since she had apparently promised not to speak of your location but she trusted me enough." He explained.

"Well we trust you too, and you are welcome to stay with us, right?" Paradox said happily as she looked at me.

"Of course, you can join us Cayonz, you only needed to ask" I told him.

"Thank you, so very much. Being a solo player has its disadvantages…" He said as he shook my hand.

"Well it all depends on the Skills you chose to work on in your Skill Slots. Speaking of which, what are your Skills?" Rizer asked him.

"My primary combat skill is Whips, but my highest leveled Skill is First Aid." Cayonz informed us.

"Whips? I haven't seen a person who uses whips before." Paradox exclaimed.

"You're shocked about Whips?" Rizer exclaimed, "I've never heard of a solo player whose highest leveled skill is First Aid. That skill should only be used when one is in a party as they can heal others using items instead of potions of crystals."

"I started off as a player playing in a party, but I eventually had to leave since I was not comfortable with the people I was with. By the time I left, my First Aid was already too high for me to drop its progress, and so I kept it. It's a good replacement for potions should you guys run out of it."

"Looks like you have competition for the support role Paradox." Rizer joked as he elbowed her. She responded with a playful slap to the arm.

"I'm sure we won't run out of potions." Paradox said confidently.

"You will never know until it happens." Cayonz said, smiling a bit.

"Well welcome to the group _Doc_." I joked. Everyone except for Cayonz was chuckling.

" _Doc_?" He said completely confused

"A while ago we decided to give each other nicknames. My name is _Lavender_ because I love the color violet." I began, "Rizer is _White Fang_ from his experiences with wolves. Paradox is named _Poison_ from her potion making skills, even though she rarely creates poisons. You can be _Doc_ or _Doctor Pain_ , your choice. Although I suggest _Doc_ to keep it short and simple."

"Who gave you those names?" He asked.

The happy and cheerful mood quickly turned cold and gloomy. That is because the three of us began remembering the reason why we had those names and the person who issued them to us.

"Mortifer did." I quietly spoke. Cayonz realized the drop in the mood when I said the name, making him drop his head. "He was basically our leader. He cared for all of us. And now he is gone."

"Is it ok if I ask you guys how you met him?" He asked us. We all nodded and Paradox decided to go first.

"I was the most recent member. I've been with them since May, but it feels like I've been with them for much longer. I met Mortifer while I was looking for ingredients for my potions. I saw them power leveling and noticed that they were that group of players who were very strong. I approached them and asked them if I could join."

"And at that day, we got a new pup to guard our home." Rizer joked. Paradox slapped him hard on the face and left a red mark.

"It's your turn Rizer." Paradox muttered as she crossed her arms.

"First let the feeling of my cheek come back." He muttered as he rubbed it. After a minute of rubbing he finally started talking. "We met each other at the 3rd floor, a few months after the game had started. I was out at night all by myself facing my fear of wolves by hunting them. It was easy for me to kill three wolves at a time. But soon the pack of wolves grew into the twenties and I was forced to run. I was saved by Mortifer and Violet, who was joined by two of his friends. The wolves ran away but since we were in the region which the _Field Boss_ was lurking, we were ambushed by it _._ The field boss at that time was _Masjid the King of Wolves_. We managed to kill him and I got a sword as a last attack bonus. Afterwards I decided to join Mortifer and Violet to become their smith and tank."

"That's a really epic story." Cayonz said in awe as he admired Rizer's old sword, Masjid's Fang.

"I bet Violet's story is more interesting." Rizer said as all eyes turned to me. I took a deep breath and let out a sigh.

"The game has started for a month at that time when we met. I was looking for someone I knew in real life who needed help with this quest. We happened to come across each other at the Town of Beginnings. When I went out to do the quest with him, we stupidly forgot to add each other to our friend's list and we got separated. I managed to get out of the forest but not without getting poisoned. I had no antidote so I knew that I needed to find help right away. That's when I heard someone whistling. I went over to the sounds and found Mortifer strolling in the night. I asked him for directions to the nearest town and he pointed the way. But I became so weak that I collapsed to the ground. Mortifer then picked me up and started running at a speed that was impossibly fast. The Town of Beginnings was at least forty-five minutes from where I was at Mortifer estimated that I had only thirty minutes to live."

"At one point both mine and Mortifer's health became so low that I decided to give up. I told him that I will not be the cause of his death, and to just leave me to die. But he didn't. He said that when someone ultimately needs him, he will do anything he can possibly do to help them, so he wouldn't let me die. And then he did it. He managed to get me to the Area before I died. At the same time, he was going so fast he couldn't stop. He crashed into a column at the plaza in the Starting City and knocked himself out. And during that time a large crowd had gathered. When he woke up everyone was looking at him. He stood up and ran past the crowd."

"His bro-, I mean friend and I found him in an alley. After his friend left, I started talking to him. He said that he could use a partner and so I joined him. And that's how everything started for me." Everyone was looking at me, interested by my story.

"So, you were really close to him?" Cayonz asked me. And though I didn't want to say it, something told me I should.

"I loved him." I told him.

"You seem very close to him, not just because of love. But more than that." Cayonz spoke

"You think so?" I asked him while trying to stop myself from tearing up.

"Absolutely." He exclaimed. Rizer and Paradox also seemed to agree with him as they all looked at me. Then a ding came from the kitchen.

The food was done cooking. I stood up and hurried over to the kitchen. I put on some gloves and opened the oven. A cloud of steam came out of the oven, and as it cleared, a perfectly cooked chicken was sitting inside. I grabbed the hot plate and pulled it out.

"So, who's hungry for Christmas dinner?" I cheerfully asked everyone.

Everyone rushed to the dining table and took a seat. The chicken smelled amazingly delicious. I put down the chicken on the table and took of my gloves. Rizer did the honors of cutting the chicken. It was perfectly cooked and seasoned beautifully.

"Merry Christmas everybody, to those who celebrate it. Make your wishes, I have mine right here." Rizer said as he greedily cut himself a leg. As I waited for my turn on the chicken, I thought about what Rizer said. I closed my eyes and wished that I can see Mortifer again, even if it almost kills me. Just one more time.

 **(Mortifer)**

 **A few weeks later January 2024**

I'm not floating anymore, but I still hear the voices, the birds, and water. I can feel my eyes now and I slowly opened them. At first I was blinded by the bright light but my eyes adjusted to it. I found myself under a stone bridge. A river slowly flowed beneath it, my legs partially in the water. I sat up and looked around. Where am I?

I slowly got up but soon sat back down. My legs were slightly numb. How long have I been sleeping? When the feeling got back to me I stood back up and walked out from under the bridge. It was noon and the sun is high in the sky. Even with the sun and cloudless skies, it was still chilly. If only I had something to wrap myself with. All I had was my shirt and pants. Wait, is that a shirt? I hit it with my hand and it rattled. Is this bone? I scratched my head, confused on why I had a shirt made of bone. As I put my hand down a screen of light popped up in front of me. What is this? I read through some of the things written on the screen.

"Mortifer." I quietly recited out loud. Is that my name? It says so on this screen of light. I read through more of the stuff written on the screen. Inventory, Skills, Party, Settings. I only understood inventory. I tapped on the light screen where the Inventory option was located and the screen changed. The screen now displayed inventory. I fiddled around with the mysterious light screen when I heard a noise behind me.

"Hello? Is someone there?" I shouted to where I heard the noise from. It was silent for a moment until I heard a voice.

"How did he hear us?" I heard a voice whisper.

"Doesn't matter let's just kill him." I heard another voice say. Kill me? What?

"Why do you want to kill me?" I asked the voices. I heard more noises all around me and suddenly out from the darkness of the trees, ten cloaked players came out holding some dangerous looking weapons.

"It's show time" I heard one of them say. He then pointed at me and two of them started walking to me, pointing their weapons right at me. I slowly backed up into a tree. Then they all started laughing.

"We got a wussy right here." One of them said.

"Don't worry, we'll make this a quick death for you." The other said.

Then one of them rushed at me and swung his sword at me. The next thing that happened went by in a flash. I stopped his sword mid swing, grabbed his arm and slammed him into the tree behind me. I grabbed his sword, and somehow managed to get behind him in an instant. I looked behind me and saw him disappear into millions of tiny pieces. I threw away the sword and looked at my hands. What did I just do?

His partner backed up slowly but the two more came to his side. The voices suddenly grew louder. Why are there voices in my head? The three hooded players came closer, weapons drawn. I let my instincts take over and I raised my fists to my face. Two of them came rushing at me, one wielded an axe, the other a dagger. I dodged the incoming axe and tripped him. The dagger person tried to stab me but I disarmed him and we switched to hand-on-hand combat. Every punch and kick he threw at me I blocked with ease. The axe guy was now standing back up and he was about to swing at me. I quickly switched positions with dagger guy and he took an axe to the back of the head. I then clenched my fists, which started glowing yellow for some reason, and punched him at his gut. Just like the one before, he disappeared into bits and pieces. Three down, seven more to go. Can I possibly do this?

The fourth guy had a shield that protected most of this body, and he wielded a mace as his main weapon. We circled around each other as the other seven cheered. Two of the people spectating were betting on who was going to win the fight.

"I bet ten-thousand Cor on Striker." A guy with a skull mask whispered into the ear of his friend.

"I bet a hundred-thousand on the other guy." He whispered back to him.

"You're going to bet against one of our best fighters? Have you lost faith in your guild members leader?"

"I have not, but this man intrigues me. Now are we going to shake on it or not?"

They shook hands and went back to the fight. I turned back around and got hit hard by the guy's shield. This guy, who I think his name is Striker, is strong. He swung his mace at me but I dodged it with ease. But then he bashed me once again with his shield and I fell on my back. Before I could stand back up again he swung his mace over his head and brought it down on me. This is it I thought. I'm dead.

"Don't give up Mortifer." I heard a voice say. I opened my eyes and saw a different person. He looked strangely familiar, but I don't remember him. He had spiky blonde hair and a huge sword. "That's not what I trained you to do."

The guy with spiky hair then brought his sword over his head and brought it down on me. This time I reached out my hands to stop it and he faded away. I now see Striker again. I had caught his mace on my hand and he looked really surprised. He tried to pull back on his mace but I held on tight. He stopped pulling but this time he brought down his massive shield on me. I reached out my other hand and stopped it. It took all my strength to keep the shield and mace from hitting me, and he was pushing down harder. I closed my eyes and tried to think up of a way to get out.

The cheering stopped, and it was replaced by confusion. I suddenly notice that I was not holding anything anymore. I opened my eyes and saw Striker but he looks completely confused. When I looked at myself, my body seemed to be translucent, as if I were a ghost. What the hell just happened to me? No I can't dwell on that thought now. Now's my chance to strike and I couldn't waste it. I stood up, walked up behind Striker and kicked the back of his knee. He fell and I disarmed his shield and mace. I held his mace on one hand, and brought it down on him.

A few quick swings and he also burst into a million pieces. Everyone around me went silent. They were all muttering something I couldn't hear. The voices in my head grew so loud that it was starting to hurt. At that moment, five of the remaining six jumped on me and grabbed my arms and legs. One of the five, a guy in a black mask was about to stab me with a dagger when he was stopped by the sixth guy who didn't grab me.

"Johnny hold on for a sec." He told him. Johnny stopped his dagger mid swing and looked at the man.

"PoH, he's killed four of our men." Johnny stated.

"That's exactly why we aren't going to kill him. XaXa, everyone, let him go." PoH commanded.

They all let go of me and I fell on my butt. XaXa, the guy with the weird mask then gave PoH a small bag. The bag jingled with the sound of coins and PoH greedily took the bag. He then started to walk over to me and kneeled in front of me.

"You... What's your name?" He asked me while inspecting me.

"My name? My name is Mortifer. That's at least what I think it is." I replied to him.

"You don't know your own name?" PoH asked me, chuckling lightly.

"Honestly, I don't remember anything before now." I answered.

"That's fine. Let's call this a fresh start for you. Hello Mortifer my name is PoH." He said. He then pointed to the guy with the skull mask and red eyes, "This is XaXa, my lieutenant. And this here, the guy who almost killed you, is Johnny. Johnny Black. How would you like to join our guild?"

"A guild? What's a guild?"

"Jeez, did this guy get amnesia or something?" one of the cloaked people whispered.

"A guild is a group of people who work together to serve their leader to achieve their goals." PoH explained

"Okay then… But I don't think it's logical for one to join a guild whose members just tried to kill you. Yeah I don't think that's gonna happen." I said as I stood up and brushed dirt off my pants.

"Look, we are sorry for that. We thought you were someone else." PoH apologized though it didn't seem very apologetic, "We can help you with your amnesia if you join us. We need someone like you in our guild."

He extended his hand out in a handshake gesture. I thought about it for a bit. If they can help with my memory, then I should join them.

"Will you promise to help me get my memory back?" I asked him.

"Why of course! Anything for a friend." He exclaimed.

The way he said that made me a little suspicious, but I must join them if I want to remember what has happened to me. I extended my hand out and shook his. He opened a screen of light and pressed one of the options. When he pressed it, another screen of light opened in front of me. A guild invitation from PoH. I accepted it and everyone around me started cheering and patting me on the back. PoH smiled and motioned for everyone to group behind him.

"Welcome Mortifer!" He exclaimed. They then pulled up their sleeves to reveal a tattoo. It was a half-open coffin with an arm sticking out, waving. "Welcome to _Laughing Coffin_!"

/

/

/

If there happens to be errors in the story, then I am sorry. I'm only human and Microsoft Word doesn't like to automatically tell me if a word is misspelled, or if there is a grammar error. I'm also trying to rush through this so some words that are supposed to be _italicized_ or  underlined may not be italicized or underlined at all. Please don't hate. Also this marks the end of the first half of the story, both Timeline wise and Plot wise.


	17. Chapter 16: Laughing Coffin

**A week later, 3** **rd** **Floor** ** _Laughing Coffin HQ_**

I've been in Laughing Coffin for a week now. They've taught me the basics of this world they call Sword Art Online. Apparently, we are people trapped inside a game. If we die, we die in real life. But they say it's okay to kill other people because it's not you who is doing it, it's the system that run the game who is doing the killing. Killing others is the main goal for this guild. This goal of ours makes me uncomfortable but everybody in the guild except for myself, has been tasked to kill someone already. It won't be long till I get my first mission.

"Hey Mortifer how you doing?" I heard a voice say. I turned around and saw XaXa walking towards me.

"Good I guess." I answered, "Why?"

"It's time to get your tattoo and your signature symbol!" He exclaimed. He pulled up his sleeve to reveal his tattoo.

"I get the tattoo but what do you mean by signature symbol?" I asked him.

XaXa pulled up his hood to reveal the entirety of his mask. It was a skull mask with only the part above the mouth visible. It's most distinguishing feature is the crimson red eyes which act like reflectors when in sunlight.

"They call me _Red-Eyed XaXa_ for a reason." He said as he pointed at his eyes. "Everyone here has a signature symbol. PoH has his catchphrase. I have the eyes. Black has that sack thing on his head along with his knives which are dipped in lethal poison. Everyone must have a symbol to distinguish one from another. You need one too."

I started thinking about what I will be. I looked at XaXa's mask once again and it gave me a very strong feeling of déjà vu. The skull captivated me but it just wasn't right since it wasn't a full mask. That's when a vision suddenly popped up in my head. It disappeared quickly but I remembered what I saw. I was standing in a forest with three giant grim reapers looking down on me, preparing to behead me with their scythes. That's when I suddenly got an idea.

"I think I got something I want…" I told him, "Can you get me a piece of paper?"

XaXa looked around and found a nearby table, where a stack of paper happened to be. He took a sheet from the stack and picked up a pen that was sitting right next to the table. He gave me the materials and I began drawing the idea that popped up into my head. A skull with two swords crossing behind it, and a banner that wrapped around the skull. The words _Reaper_ were written across the banner, at the part which partially covered the skull's mouth. I then added a slight change to the skull by giving it a crack on its left eye. The crack went from the brow to the cheek, jumping the eye socket.

"I want a skull mask like yours, but one that covers my entire face and is comfortable to wear. Can I also have this tattoed on me, but on my back?" I showed XaXa the drawing.

"It's going to take some time to tattoo something as detailed as that but I think Polus can manage." XaXa nodded, "You go to Polus and get your tattoos. I need to get to Harkon to get him your mask made. Something like mine right?"

"Yes, but without the red eyes and with a mouth." I told him, "By the way, who and where is Polus again?"

"I'm right here." A voice spoke from behind me.

I looked upon a man who wore a grey bandana that covered his mouth. The guy appeared to have make-up on since he had a red outline around his eyes which heavily contrasted with his pale white skin. The only other distinguishing feature he had was a Yin-Yang symbol on his forehead.

"You ready to get your _Laughing Coffin_ tattoo?" he asked me, holding up a pointed wood stick with black ink dripping from the point. Even though he had his mouth covered, I could sense him smiling evily, as if excited to tattoo me.

"Yeah, I am. I also want this thing tattooed on my back." I request, showing the drawing. He took the piece of paper and observed it.

"This shouldn't be too hard. Now follow me to my laboratory, I mean, ink room." He stuttered.

This guy is nuts…

 **A few hours later**

My body feels numb. I've been sitting on that chair for forever, and the fact that Polus dug the wood stick deep into my skin didn't help since it only made me even more uncomfortable. Fortunately, I didn't go through any pain, or else the tattoos I got would not have been worth it, and Polus would just enjoy my suffering being the sadistic tattooist he is. Now, I'm just resting at a nearby chair, waiting for XaXa.

"Yo Mortifer! Your mask is all done now!" XaXa's voices called out to me. I turned to see him walking over to me, waving my mask around, "So, how was your experience with Polus?"

"Do you guys happen to have another tattooist? Just in case I want another one? Cause for god sakes I don't want to go near him anymore." I openly admitted. XaXa and a few people who heard me laughed at my words.

"Ah don't worry. Everyone has been through that experience except for PoH since he tattooed himself our symbol." XaXa stated as he gave me my new mask, "Since we didn't do any measurements on your face, it has an adjustable strap. Go ahead and put it on."

I took the mask and began wearing it. I messed around with the adjustable strap until I was comfortable with how tight it was against my face. The mask was slightly cold because it was made of metal, but at least it won't trap any heat if I happen to start sweating. The eye sockets were perfect as it didn't restrict my vision that much, and there were numerous tiny holes in the nose for me to breath freely. I felt slightly nostalgic wearing it, once again getting a feeling of déjà vu. I then put on my hood and grabbed a nearby mirror.

"It doesn't reveal my face at all." I noted, "I like it."

"It took much longer since Harkon ran out of leather and so he had to mold one out of metal." XaXa put in.

"That's fine. I like metal better than leather because it gets all messy and uncomfortable if I start sweating."

"I do have to add that your voice does sound muffled" XaXa mused, "That's one disadvantage about a full-face mask unlike mine."

"It has already been made so there is no turning back. Plus I like it this way since it appeals to my style more."

XaXa then wrapped his arm around my neck and pulled me close to him. He started chanting like a wolf and called out to everyone in the vicinity.

"Hey everyone! Let's greet our newest member of the guild! This is Mortifer, the _Reaper of Laughing Coffin_!"

The people around me began cheering, which made me feel a bit uneasy while also making me feel happy. I appreciate the attention, but it also made me a bit embarrassed. The other guild members admired my mask, calling it cool just like XaXa's. They wanted to see my back tattoo and so I did. XaXa laughed and complimented Polus on how accurate he made the tattoo compared to the drawing I made. The small celebration was then interrupted when PoH walked into the room.

"Hey there Mortifer." He greeted me with a smile, his hood off his head.

This would be the first time I see PoH without his hood. The man had slightly curcly hair that reached his cleft chin. The way his face was built in combination with his smile made him look like a mad-man or a villain. Well, at least what a villain looks like in my head. His most distinguishing feature was the two gold rings pierced into his right brow.

"It seems you have made quick friends with XaXa." PoH assumed. XaXa nodded in response and looked to me as if also wanting me to nod, and so I did.

"Hey PoH, check out his back tattoo!" XaXa suggested. XaXa forcefully turned me around and pulled up my shirt, revealing the _Reaper_ tattoo to PoH.

"I see. It has a very intricate design. Polus has made a masterpiece on your back." PoH complimented, "Anyways, I'm here to give you your first assignment. You will be performing the mission by yourself, but I have assigned XaXa to watch over you should anything go wrong. I have high hopes for you Mortifer, especially after witnessing your strength during our first encounter."

"I-I'll try my best…"

 **A week later,** **Algade** **50** **th** **Floor**

It's been two weeks since I've joined the guild. Even so, PoH has already given me multiple assignments, all of them felt quick and easy. I was usually tasked to kill, intimidate, or steal from someone but this current mission of mine, I've been tasked to kill a certain group of people, numbering four in all. The amount of missions I've done makes me question just how many players want other players killed. Even though it seems wrong, I carried them out without questioning too much.

Right now, I'm accompanied by XaXa, who has been with me in every one of my missions. He is basically my partner now, and my best friend in the guild. Being the cold, sadist that he is, he enjoys watching me as I quickly dispatch my targets. He especially loves when if I happen to take my time with them or if I try to scare the living daylights out of them. I'm confident he and Polus are on the same levels in terms of their sadism. Either way, his skill is something which is feared and admired in the guild. His ability to use an estoc is rather terrifying, which is why he is athe lieutenant commander of the guild, PoH's right-hand man. Although that is how the rest of the guild views him, XaXa believes that I have long surpassed him when it comes to fighting and skill with a sword. After all, I have more Completed skills than him.

"Oi… How long are they going to stick around in this damn city?" XaXa complained, "We've already waited for almost an hour for them to get out of the Area. My body has been tingling at the feeling of getting to kill those four."

"You guys are always too eager to go for your targets. At least wait a bit." I told him as I watched our four targets walked down the streets together.

"If we wait too long, people will surely notice us. Algade is the most crowded city in this game. Even if we are hiding on the rooftops, I'm sure at least some people will notice us. We're also in broad daylight, so our shadows may hit the ground."

"That's why I'm lying down moron. Now get down before someone sees you." I quickly told him. He sighed and got down on his belly, watching our targets with me, "They're leaving the market area and heading to the west gate. They must be done with this shopping trip of theirs."

"Thank god…" XaXa sighed in relief. He looked towards the west gate and frowned, "If they are leaving the city, we should move up ahead of them, just in case we take too long getting out of the city with all the players around that area."

"Even if we do lose sight of them, my Searching skill is high enough for me to track them down with ease, so don't worry too much."

"Fine then, but let's move up and follow them. The weather is hot today, despite being January. I want to get this mission done and over with." XaXa complained.

The two of us got up to our feet and silently followed the group of four from the rooftops. We jumped from rooftop to rooftop, making as little noise as possible. Whenever we came across a street, XaXa would need a running start since his Acrobatics skill is not as high as mine, meaning he can't jump as high. Even so, he easily makes each jump. Now, our targets exiting through the west gate and are leaving the Area. We were forced to stay on the rooftops as we couldn't really afford to be spotted by the large crowd of players at the gate. So, we simply watched as our prey walked out of the city.

"Hey, do you have any cool things you do before you hunt down and kill your targets?" XaXa asked me.

"You mean like a catchphrase? Like PoH's?" I asked him for clarification.

"Yeah something like that."

"I think I have something in mind…"

 **(Violet)**

 **Two weeks later,** **Algade** **50** **th** **Floor**

"Hey have you guys seen this before?" Cayonz shouted from behind us.

Since Cayonz is usually quiet and always walking at the back, I didn't even notice him stop. The three of us turned around to look at what the man was talking about. He held a copy of the Weekly Argo, a weekly newspaper outlet that Argo and a few other information brokers run that informs players of news and events in Aincrad. We walked over to Cayonz and he pointed at the paper's featured article.

"Rise of _Laughing Coffin_." Cayonz read the title.

I heard about this _Laughing Coffin_ guild a week or so ago when Paradox and I heard people talking about it when we went on a shopping trip on different floors. Apparently, on New Year's Eve, the guild had attacked another guild who was partying out on an open field, outside of the  Area. They massacred all the guild members and committed the first known murders in SAO. They've been heavily active recently, and this article goes further in depth with it.

The article talks about PoH, the creator of the guild, and talks about how he is spreading this sort of philosophy. His philosophy states that it is perfectly fine to kill other players as it is not you doing the killing, but the system. For some reason, this philosophy of his has attracted many people into joining this guild of his. The number of Player-Kills have gone up tenfold because of their debut.

"Hey look over here." Rizer pointed at another section of the newspaper, "There's a wanted poster."

"The _Reaper of Laughing Coffin_. Highly dangerous criminal. It was written by a member of the _Knights of the Blood Oath._ " Cayonz began reading, "The _Knights of the Blood Oath_ have decided that the _Laughing Coffin_ threat is going out of hand and we are working on trying to stop these murders as they hinder us from ending this death game. While it is better to take the entire red guild down, there is a certain member in their guild who must be stopped at all costs. We ask for the help of any player who can find any information about him or better yet, capture him."

"The so-called _Reaper of Laughing Coffin_ is the sole cause of the deaths of at least twenty players. The _Knights of the Blood Oath_ has set a one million Cor bounty on the dangerous criminal. He must be brought to the guild either dead or alive."

In a game where if one dies, their person in the real world will also perish, there is a man who has taken the lives of twenty players. Not only that, he has received something which a player in SAO would never imagine: a bounty on his head, for being a wanted criminal. I looked at the article again only to see that there was more writing on the wanted poster.

"There have been very few eye witnesses of the _Reaper_ , but we are glad to obtain at least some information about him. Like all _Laughing Coffin_ members, the man bears their signature tattoo on his right arm. He wears a black cloak like the rest of his guild but his is rather torn up more than his comrades. A player claimed that he wears a skull mask that covers the entirety of his face but that has not been confirmed yet. The man is extremely powerful and agile. His power suggests that his player level may exceed that of level seventy, making him extremely dangerous. There are also rumors of him having the ability to turn invisible, but not enough information has been shown to make us believe the man can really turn invisible."

"I thought we could try to find this guy and turn him in." Rizer began speaking, "However, after they said he may be above level seventy, I don't think we stand a chance."

"Yeah… We haven't been leveling our characters lately. We're a solid twenty levels behind, even more for Paradox." I admitted.

"Hold on, there's a bit more." Cayonz said as he continued reading, "During one of the _Reaper_ 's missions, a player overheard him talking with his partner right before they were about to kill a group of four players. Before they jumped the group, the eye witness apparently overheard the man speak something which he assumed was his catchphrase: May Death Rain Upon Them."

I suddenly lost the feeling of my legs and fell to the ground. Those words… I know those words, but where did I hear them? When did I hear them? Rizer and Paradox also seemed to be struggling to place where those words came from since all of us had heard it before. Only Cayonz was the only one not doing anything except watching us struggle as we try to remember a memory from long ago. Skull mask. Black torn cloak. Edgy catchphrase. Invisibility. Any of the _Laughing Coffin_ members could easily fit into three of those categories, yet why do I feel like I know this person yet don't know? Did my memory turn into that of a goldfish?

"I see you guys have seen my article about _Laughing Coffin_." A voice from behind me spoke.

I turned around and looked upon a very familiar looking girl with hazel-brown hair and eyes. She held a stack of the Weekly Argo in her hands. She wore the white-red uniform of the strongest guild in the game, the _Knights of the Blood Oath_. Not only is she a beauty towards many of the male players in this game, she also happens to be one of the strongest players in the game. Her  Rapier far surpasses mine, and her speed earned her the title the _Flash_.

"Hey there Violet!" Asuna greeted me with a warm smile, "It's been such a long time since we last met! I believe we last saw each other almost a year ago, before I became famous and stuff."

"It's nice to meet you too." I greeted her as I stood back up from the ground, "Congratulations on the promotion of sub-leader Asuna-sama."

"Oh please, just call me Asuna, Violet-san."

"And you should just call me Violet." I laughed.

"It feels weird if I don't call you Violet-san, so I'm just going to keep using it. Sorry! Anyways, I see you've seen the article I wrote, about the red guild _Laughing Coffin_."

"Oh, yes. A one million Cor bounty huh?" I mused.

"Yup. The guild's council voted to get rid of this guy as soon as possible and so we placed a bounty on his head to attract players' attention to him, although hopefully some people are smart enough to not actually go for a man this powerful and dangerous. Are you guys interested in helping."

"Oh dear no." I laughed, holding my hands up to reject her offer, "Even if our levels were about the same as his, the last times we helped someone as big as you guys, we became their enemies."

"Oh yes I remember now. That Kibaou fellow and his _Army_. Well alright then. If you do happen to change your mind or get some information, find me in  Grandzam. Our new headquarters are located there. Good bye!"

Asuna walked away, carrying her stack of newspapers along with her. We continued watching her until she disappeared into one of the many street corners here in Algade.

"Damn… She's hot…" Rizer said aloud.

"She's leagues above you Rizer. There's no way you would get her." Paradox bluntly put in.

"Yeah, tell me that when you actually get a boyfriend missy." Rizer grumbled.

"You're saying you have a girlfriend?" Paradox questioned.

"Used to. In the real world. She was a real beauty."

"Wow, congratulations. I'm surprised someone viewed a piece of garbage like you as something worth loving with their heart." Paradox joked.

The three of us laughed at Paradox's joke while Rizer merely fumed with rage. Paradox knew she can't run away from Rizer since she herself has not done much running or leveled her Sprint skill, yet she told that joke without showing fear. Once we were done laughing, we headed for the city's Teleport Gate so we can head back to the Island. During that time that took us to go back, thoughts of the _Reaper_ kept reappearing in my head. Who is he? Why does he sound so familiar? Even if I do wish to know who he is, I also wish that I'm not on his kill list.

 **(Mortifer)**

 **February 2024 Two weeks later, 54** **th** **Floor**

It has been over a month since I joined _Laughing Coffin_ and my reputation has gone sky-rocketing. The _Knights of the Blood Oath_ , the strongest guild in the game, has placed a bounty on my head due to my actions. The other members laughed and celebrated about it when the news first reached our ears. I was promoted to lieutenant by PoH two days ago, the same rank as Johnny Black. XaXa has kept his spot as second-in-command simply because he's been with PoH longer and the man trusts him more.

Speaking of XaXa, the two of us are now known as the guild's _Killer Duo_. The two of us have never separated from each other and not once have we gone to a mission without the other, even if the mission requires one person. PoH informed me that I was more successful than Striker, one of the four members I killed prior to joining the guild. He was apparently Johnny's partner and so I expected him to hold grudges but XaXa told me that he didn't which surprised me.

I'm also given every one of the important missions that the guild occasionally receives. Single-Target assassinations, Group assassinations, and even Clearer assassinations. We started the Clearer assassinations a week ago since PoH decided it would be fun if we target the players in the Front Lines, and he tasks me and XaXa, the most powerful members of the guild, to perform these missions. We don't get payed for it since we only do it for sport. Even so, I would occasionally get a bad feeling everytime I kill someone.

I wouldn't say occasionally, but all the time. Everytime I kill someone, these Voices in my head start screaming out at me. The pain is sometimes unbearable, as if they were clawing against my brain in order to escape. And every time I do kill someone or even witness someone's death, their Voice also goes into my head. I would get nightmares in my sleep, reminding me of these deaths. I felt like it was a serious problem, yet I haven't informed anybody in the guild of it since they would think I've gone totally insane. Just thinking about it makes my head ache.

I cleared my head and began focusing on the mission at hand. XaXa and I are performing a difficult mission right now. We were sent to capture a Clearer of the Front Lines and bring him back to the guild, where Johnny Black will use him as a test subject for his dangerous poisons. Once the man is done with him, we will dispatch him without a word. Recalling the mission's details made me remember how I got into _Laughing Coffin_.

"Hey, are you going to apologize for betting against me?" I asked XaXa.

"Betting against you?" he questioned.

"During our first encounter, I was fighting against Striker. You and PoH were exchanging bets during that time."

"You heard me whisper to him from that far? While people were cheering and you were fighting?" He exclaimed, amazed.

"I hear everything XaXa." I chuckled out, "That's how I managed to hear you guys coming that night when you ambushed me outside of Panareze."

"God, you really are a monster, aren't you?" XaXa mused, "Okay fine then… I did bet against you and since you reminded, I'll apologize now. You were battling Striker who was our guild's muscle back then. Whenever he and I would duel, it would always end up with a draw which surprised many of us since I had much more speed than he did. It surprised us even more when you managed to defeat him using your bare hands. Like for crying out loud, you stopped his mace swing with two hands!"

"Well, I was lucky he wasn't using a Sword Skill. If he was, I would've taken some serious damage, possibly even die."

"You owe me ten-thousand Cor because I lost that bet. Pay me after this mission ends." XaXa grumbled.

"I don't need to pay you. If I had died to Striker, you wouldn't have me with you."

"Heh… That's true…"

 **An hour later**

The mission turned out successful. We easily captured the Clearer who is now being mercilessly tested on by Johnny Black. Black is going to put him through his many different torture methods until he's done. I felt a little sorry for the Clearer. Right before I left the boss's room, I remembered something important which was on my mind for a while now.

"Hey PoH, when will my memory return?" I asked him. Even though I was talking to only him, everyone in the room stopped moving, "Is something wrong?"  
"Oh no don't worry, nothing is wrong Mortifer." PoH quickly said. He seemed like he was hiding something but I didn't feel like questioning him now, "Your memories will return to you Mortifer. You just have to wait a little bit longer. Patience is a virtue after all."

"Virtues seems non-existent in a guild like this, but whatever. Hey XaXa, let's go do some other stuff now."

"Yeah!"

 **End of February 2024**

"Mortifer, wake up! The boss has an important assignment for us!" I heard a voice say. I opened my eyes to be greeted by XaXa.

"Isn't it our day off? I already performed two missions yesterday…" I yawned.

"The mission was given to us by one of the bigger guilds in this game. They're giving a high reward to us should we cleanly complete the mission. The boss also said that it will help get your memory back."

I suddenly became alert at the sound of the words he spoke. Other than being with XaXa, recovering from this amnesia of mine is the thing I want the most. I hastily got up and readied my equipment, mask and everything. XaXa and I reported to PoH's office. When we went inside, the door closed behind us and locked. The candles were put out and we were in complete darkness. Even so, I could feel the presences of seven other people in the room, one of them being PoH.

"Mortifer." I heard PoH whisper in a very quiet voice, "This is a very important mission. Our client is being very strict and so failure is unacceptable. You, XaXa, and six other members are going to the 24th Floor. At one corner of the floor, there is a certain island where a group of four players supposedly live. They are apparently not ordinary players and are very strong, especially this one player who was a former-Clearer back when the Front Lines were only at the 25th Floor. Reasons for their deaths is kept secret by our client, but the reward is high. Two million Cor for their deaths. Mortifer, you will be leading this mission, so if one of the members die, you will take full responsibility. Now, here's a map that guides you to the location of this little island of theirs."

 **(Violet)**

 **That evening**

A merciless storm has been beating on our house for the whole day. We were stuck inside, trying to kill time without going outside. Rizer and Cayonz were playing a game of chess. I was knitting a new cloak for myself, and Paradox was down in the basement working on improving her potions. Everything was going well until we heard a knock on the door.

"You guys heard that knocking, right?" Rizer questioned us. Cayonz and I nodded, "Who the hell is outside in a storm like this? Especially in a tropical floor with most of the landscape being water."

"I'll go check it out." Cayonz volunteered. The man headed over to the door and peered through the peephole, "I don't see anything…"

He slowly opened the door, letting in a huge gust of wind and some rain. He peered outside the door, trying to find whoever it was that knocked on our door. His eyes suddenly grew wide and ran outside into the storm.

"C-Cayonz wait!" I shouted out to him.

Rizer and I got up on our feet and started running after the man. Before he left the house, Rizer opened the basement door to call for Paradox. I entered the storm with my cloak and hood on, and saw Cayonz kneeling next to someone who was lying on the ground. The person seemed to be unconscious as he was not moving at all. Paradox and Rizer caught up with us and saw the person as well.

"Who's this guy?" Rizer asked, "Is he the one who knocked?"

"I have no clue." Cayonz answered.

Cayonz turned the man's body over and we all backed away in terror. The man wore a weird, creepy mask that smiled as if he were some sadistic killer. Not only that, there was a piece of paper stuck to his chest with a symbol all of us recognized. The symbol of _Laughing Coffin_. The man who we thought was unconscious, stood up and drew his sword at us, forcing Rizer and I to do the same. We heard a door close behind us and saw another LC member standing on our front porch, blocking the entrance to our house. When lightning cracked the sky, I saw three silhouettes standing on our roof. I heard the rustling of the nearby tree and saw another member drop down from it.

The members all gathered up in a circle, surrounding the four of us in. The three of us surrounded Paradox, who has no combat skills whatsoever, and held our ground there. It was basically six against four. At least that's what I thought until I heard another voice shout from inside the storm.

"May Death Rain Upon Them."

My eyes grew wide in shock and terror. Not only because that is the _Reaper_ 's catchphrase, but the voice sounded a lot like… No, I can't dwell on that thought right now. I need to make sure the four of us get out of this alive. All the sudden, the six LC members attacked us in unison. So many things happened at once that even I couldn't keep up with it. The only sounds that reached my ears was the rain, the ring of our blades, and the sound of Cayonz's whip. Rizer took the job of handling the people going after Paradox. I had to fend off two at once while Cayonz was already struggling with his opponent for he was not someone to openly duel a player skilled in swords. The man can't even block attacks properly since his whip can't really be used for blocking, and his big stature prevents him from dodging quickly.

The relentless attack continued for five minutes until all the members backed up ten meters from our current position. We weren't hurt too bad except for Rizer who took on three at once, but even then, he is still above half of his health. The LC members took even less damage than all of us, yet they bacled away and sheathed their weapons. At first I was confused, for good reasons, but then lightning cracked the sky and I barely managed to spot two other members watching from the distance. One of them had piercing red, reflector eyes.

The man next to the red eyes however was the first one to move. He drew out a sleek, silver blade which reflected even the faintest moonlight and lightning. None of the other members moved since they were watching their comrade approach us with his weapon drawn. The six members closest to us then began chanting out the man's name. A name which is known throughout all of Aincrad.

" _Reaper_! _Reaper_! _Reaper_!" They chanted.

My body froze in fear, realizing who we were going up against. This is the same guy who is wanted by the _Knights of the Blood Oath_. The same guy who killed twenty players when we first saw his wanted poster, whose kill count has probably changed by now. The _Reaper of Laughing Coffin_. He slowsly approached us with his sword drawn and we all got into a line formation, with Paradox behind us.

"Violet… He can't possibly take three of us at once… Can he?" Rizer asked me, clearly nervous about fighting the man.

"Well, you managed to protect Paradox from three people." I deduced, "If this guy is above level seventy, I'm pretty sure he can take on all four of us, even if Paradox had even some combat skill."

I held my rapier tightly on my hands. My body was shaking in fear and I quickly noticed that it was the same for all of us. The _Reaper_ however, fearlessly marched towards us. His slow pace also made it more frightening due to the anticipation building up inside of me. That's when timed seemed to slow down for me, almost to the point where five seconds was actually one second in real time. The _Reaper_ disappeared out of thin air, and I felt a faint gush of wind blow past my face. The man then reappeared behind us, already swinging his sword for the first strike.

I barely managed to parry his attacks. In fact, his speed made it so I could barely make out his sword against the darkness of the night and the pouring storm. Cayonz and Paradox had already taken multiple hits, and Rizer was brought below half of his health. I've managed to parry or block his attacks but I knew that I couldn't keep up with his speed for long. By the time a few of his attacks started hitting me, everyone else was already down on the ground, completely exhausted and beat. Looking at them made me lose my rhythm and I let myself get hit continously.

He first cut me once on the leg, and then he slashed my arm, disabling me from moving as fast. He then stabbed me on the shoulder and cut me again on my other leg. At this point, I couldn't even move since I was tired out. My health is below half, but I couldn't give up now. I can't let my friends die.

"Come on Mortfer. Just finish them off so we can go home and get payed." A voice yelled from within the storm. W-What… Did he just say? Did he say… Mortifer?

Just then, the _Reaper_ swiped at my legs, making me trip and then stabbed my shoulder, his blade piercing all the way through my body and sticking itself onto the ground. I was pinned down and unable to move.

"Violet!" Paradox cried out.

Paradox tried to get up but the man with the red eyes put his foot on her back, pinning her down. Cayonz and Rizer were being held down by the rest of the members. In fact, they used Cayonz's whip to tie the two together. The LC members were now laughing in celebration of their victory. But I was still confused at what one of the members said just now. Mortifer is dead, so why did they say his name? It can't be… Can it?

Without even thinking, I used the remaining bits of my strength to pick up my rapier, activate a Sword Skill, and stab the _Reaper_ on his face, breaking the mask that he wore. Even though it was made of metal, it shattered easily to the power of the new rapier Rizer had forged me. The _Reaper_ backed away, clutching his face. The guy with red eyes came to his side to check on the man. A moment later, the _Reaper_ looked up and stared at me. His mask was gone and his hood was pulled down. What I saw made me go through so many emotions that not one dominated me. Rizer and Paradox also saw his face and couldn't believe their eyes. We looked upon the face of Mortifer.

 **(Mortifer)**

This girl really puts up a fight. Could she be the former-Clearer PoH informed me about? Nonetheless, I easily managed to take four of them at once, although one was a Whips user and the other girl didn't even fight back. I approached the girl who had just stabbed my face and broke my mask. I picked up my sword and stabbed her hand, making her drop her rapier. The girl then began crying.

"Mortifer, it's me! Violet!" she cried out, "Don't you remember me?"

The cheers of my comrades stopped, replaced with quiet muttering which even I couldn't hear through the chaos of the storm. The girl did seem strangely familiar, but where have I met her before?

"Come on Mortifer." XaXa hurried, "Let's just kill the girl and her comrades and go back home. I'm freezing in this winter rainstorm."

"You're not a killer Mortifer! Stop this now! Look around you! This is your home! Does it not look familiar to you?" the Violet girl pleaded.

I looked around the island and observed it carefully. Even though I don't recall ever going to somewhere as far as this place in the 24th Floor, I still felt a bit nostalgic. The tree grove of theirs and the flower garden. Their house also appealed to me, perfectly fitting my style should I live with friends in the so-called "Real World". I've definitely been here before but I just don't remember. The frustration caused me to pick up my sword and stab the Violet girl, straight through her belly. Her health dropping to the red zone.

"Mortifer… You promised…" Violet began crying tears of sadness. I picked up my sword once again and prepared to kill her. Before I could deal the finishing blow, she said her last words, "You promised you would never hurt me."

My blade stopped and hovered right above the girl's chest. I couldn't move at all, for I could not move my muscles. Why is my body doing this? Why did my body stop moving at this girl's words?

"You remember Mortifer, don't you? You said that you would never forgive yourself if you hurt me. You said it to me, at the Night of the Forest."

Images and memories rushed into my brain as if it had been there all along. It felt like someone releasing the floodgates of the dam, letting the water come roaring through. I was in a forest, watching three guys surround a girl who had been tied up to the tree. It was the other girl who did not try to fight back against me. I then saw myself battling against a giant wolf with other people. And finally, I saw the same girl I was about ready to kill. Violet. I was holding her in my arms. The moonlight reflected off her dark eyes as her smooth black hair brushed my skin. Those eyes were the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen in my life. I then returned to reality.

"V-Violet? Is that you?" I stuttered. She smiled and reached her hand out for mine.

"I love you, Mortifer." She said.

More images came rushing into my head. I remember everything now. She is Violet. That girl is Paradox, my potion maker. That man is Rizer, my blacksmith. I don't know who the black man is, but I remember Cloud. I remember the Cave and my fight with the _Shadows of Sorrow_. I remembered falling into a river, knocking myself out. I remember everything. I dropped my sword and kneeled next to Violet. I quickly pulled out a pink _Healing Crystal_ and restored her health back to full.

"Mortifer, what are you doing?!" XaXa exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, but it seems my memories have fully returned to me. I have found the place where I belong and it is here, on this island. I do not belong in your guild, nor do I want to be in it any longer. This is good bye XaXa… Forgive me…" I muttered softly as I carried Violet over to a smiling Rizer and paradox.

"Traitor!" one of the members yelled.

One of my former comrades charged at me, yelling and holding his sword up high. I simply flipped the man over and stabbed him with my sword repeatedly, killing him instantly due to the power behind my strikes. The other five members also charged straight at me and so I gave them a merciless onslaught of steel. While all my attacks landed, none of theirs could. There were four left, then two, then none. I then looked to XaXa who was standing by himself. I put away my sword and went back to tend to my friends.

"We were partners!" XaXa yelled from behind me.

I quickly stopped and turned around to block the incoming Sword Skill from XaXa's estoc. Had I not been faster, he would've hit me and dealt some serious damage. I could see the shock on his face through his mask when I blocked the attack. I countered his attack by elbowing him on the face and slashed his leg a few times.

"I know we were partners XaXa." I told him, "I still remember everything we did together. All the missions we accomplished. All the fun things we did during our day off. I really did enjoy being with you, but the main reason why I joined was to recover my memories. And now I have them back."

My former best-friend started attacking me again, fully recovered from the Post-Motion Delay. I effortlessly blocked each and every attack he performed on his estoc, despite the weapon being a pierce weapon with a very small point, making it hard to block the attacks.

"Even before this, I thought that killing, capturing, and torturing all of those people were wrong. Now that I remember everything, I now know that it is immoral and what I have been doing is wrong. I can't go back to HQ with you, and even I couldn't kill you. So please, just leave now XaXa!"

I moved my blade to my left had so I could activate _Embracer_ on my right. I didn't hold back since I knew this punch wouldn't kill him. Even so, XaXa's body was lauched at least ten meters away from me. I walked over to his immobile body and pinned him down with my foot. I then pulled out a _Teleport Crystal_ and dropped it next to him.

"Go back home XaXa… Tell PoH exactly what happened. Tell him that I know where you guys are, and should you attack us, I will make sure to hunt and kill all of you."

I took my foot off his body and he began coughing from the impact of my punch. I began walking away, heading back to my friends.

"Good bye… Mortifer…" XaXa muttered through the storm.

I didn't even turn back to look as he used the crystal and teleported away. The thunderstorm which has been going on since I entered the floor began disappearing, and the Island was hit by the moonlight. Everyone was smiling and looking at me. I looked at Violet and she gave me one of her special smiles that I always loved to see. That's when a wave of pain washed over me as I clutched my head. New voices appeared in my head. Voices of the _Laughing Coffin_ members I just killed. I fell to my knees as I tried to push back the Voices, but this time, they were far too strong. The last thing I saw was everyone rushing over to me as I blanked out.

/

/

/

 _I thought this chapter would be one of the longer ones but it didn't even exceed 10k words (though I'm not complaining that much). Anyways with this, the chapters will come at a much faster rate. Like I said, I promise to finish this before the New Years (2017). Believe!_


	18. Chapter 17: Reunion and Bonding

**(Violet)**

 **Midnight March 2024**

After he passed out, we brought Mortifer into the house and set him upstairs in his bedroom, which nobody has been in ever since he left. He wasn't injured terrible, nor was his health close to the half-way mark, but his face showed exhaustion and his body was cold. His veins slightly popped out and you could faintly see his pulse through them. When we did feel his pulse, it felt like his heart was going on a rampage, as the beating felt very powerful. Fortunately, that only lasted for a few minutes and his pulse, body temperature and everything returned to normal, relieving me completely.

"So is this Mortifer?" Cayonz asked us. The three of us nodded and smiled, happy at the fact that he is back, "I know this may not be a good question to ask right now, but where in the world did he learn to fight like that?"

"We honestly have no clue." I answered, "Mortifer was already a good swordsman to begin with, but it seems his skill, technique, and strength have gone up tenfold. Plus, this is the first time we have seen and talked to him in such a long time."

Even though I said that, I have a vague idea of why Mortifer is so powerful. First, he power-leveled like crazy before he disappeared into that cave he supposedly went into. The fact that nobody could even enter the cave, except for him, gave me a feeling that it was a very high-level dungeon despite being only on the 24th Floor. Speaking of training and the cave, where was the Cloud person he was with during that whole time? Did they perhaps separate? Before I could dwell on it any longer, Mortifer began coughing loudly and he slowly sat up, with my help.

"Hey there Violet, everyone." Mortifer greeted in a weak voice, giving us a warm smile while doing so. He then turned his eyes towards Cayonz, "And you… Are you… a new member?"

"Yes, I am. My name is Cayonz." The man greeted Mortifer.

"Well hello there Cayonz. I apologize for the terrible first impression. Forgive me please." Mortifer apologized.

"There is no need to be sorry. I'm glad you've returned. Your friends have been quite down with your absence."

"Speaking of your absence…" Paradox began, "Why in the world were you with _Laughing Coffin_? And why did they call you _The Reaper_?"

"It's really, really complicated… I can only give you guys a brief summary or else we will be here for forever." Mortifer stated, "I guess I should start off with the cave. If you didn't already know, yes, I was in that cave dungeon, and I was in it for nearly two months. After that, the cave began collapsing and I accidentally fell into the river below. The moment I hit the water, I sort of blanked out while also feeling a weird and painful sensation in my head. That must be when I lost my memories."

"Wait, so you really did forget everything? Is that why you didn't recognize us?" I questioned him.

"Yeah… That happened around the end of October. When I woke up around the beginning of January, I was taken in by _Laughing Coffin_ since they had promised to recover my memory. Although they were successful in doing so, I've caused the deaths of so many people. Thus, I became the infamous _Reaper_. I don't think I could ever forgive myself…"

"As long as you're here with us, I'm fine with that. Plus, the _Knights of the Blood Oath_ don't know your true identity, but can you really trust the _Laughing Coffin_ guild that they won't inform them about the location and identity of the _Reaper_?" I asked Mortifer, nervous of the possibility of something else happening between him and the red guild.

"I know the location of their guild and the fact that they are not going to bother moving to a different location. PoH knows that I am aware of this, so he is discouraged to reveal information about me. Since I'm also a master swordsman and a master of stealth. I could easily hunt them down no problem, which is what PoH is more scared of. Despite being the sadistic, killer that he is, he is terrified of dying."

"Well, its good to hear that we won't have to worry about them any longer." I sighed in relief.

"Yes but, I still have the tattoos on me…" Mortifer grimaced, pulling up his arm sleeve to show us the LC symbol, "There's another one on my back as well."

Mortifer turned around to show us his back tattoo. The design contained a skull with crosswords. A banner was wrapped around the skull with the words "Reaper" written one it. Edgy for most people, intimidating to the victims of the _Reaper_.

"Did the tattoos hurt?" Paradox asked out of the open, making Mortifer laugh.

"No, it didn't hurt. It's SAO after all." He laughed out, "But that doesn't mean I was heavily uncomfortable with it, especially since our tattooist was some psychopath. Anyways, I'm glad that I'm back home with you guys, and I'm sorry for making all of you worry about me. Now that I remember everything, I have something that can make up for the lost time."

Mortifer opened his menu and accessed his inventory. I was shocked to see just how many items were in his inventory and was even more surprised to see that he wasn't over encumbered. After a long list of random items, possible monster drops he got from inside the dungeon, he stopped at one specific item and showed it to me. I could not believe my eyes at what I saw.

" _R-R-Ragout Rabbit Meat_!" I exclaimed, "That's an S-Class ingredient! It's supposed to be extremely rare! Where did you get this?!"

"R-Relax Violet!" Mortifer tried calming me down but I was far too excited, "I found it in the cave dungeon I was in. I've collected thirty pieces of meat, all of which has been preserved by a special monster drop I gained which acts like a preservative."

"Did you get anything else in the dungeon?" Rizer asked him.

"Oh, I got plenty of items, but some are merely monster drops that I thought could be useful later on. I did however obtain over three Giga Cor when I found a treasure room, and that was after I had already gained thousand of Cor upon killing so many monsters."

"I-I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you clearly…" I began speaking to Mortifer, "You meant to say three Mega Cor… Right?"

"No, I really meant three Giga Cor." Mortifer answered.

"Three Giga… As in, three billion Cor? As in, billionaire?"

"Yes." Mortifer answered once again, his face showing no emotion.

"Sometimes, I just can't handle the fact that you are not surprised about most things most people freak out about." I told him with my arms crossed, "What do you plan on doing with all of that money anyway?"

"Well for starters, I'm going to store a majority of it in my storage chest, here in my room. We can use the rest to restock up on our supplies, get a freezer of some kind, and renovate the house. Now that we have Cayonz here, I feel like we should resume the house renovations that we stopped long ago when I disappeared. Though, I want to rest for today. The Voices inside my head aren't very happy right now…" Mortifer began lying back down, his eyelids drooping slightly.

"Voices? Are you talking about the same ones you heard during the Night of the Forest?" I asked him before he went to sleep.

"Yeah… Those… It's… A really long story…"

Mortifer's eyes closed completely. Even though he may have been faking it, I didn't bother waking him up. After all, he seemed to have gone through some extraordinary mental pain after he saved us from _Laughing Coffin_. I tucked him into bed and motioned for everyone to leave his room. When we did, I closed the door behind me and sighed.

"He's really changed a lot, hasn't he?" Paradox wondered, "I can sense that he is a different person now."

"Yeah… I can also sense it too." I told her.

"What do you think happened in that cave and during his time in _Laughing Coffin_?" Rizer asked me.

"It's better if we let him decide if we should know about what happened to him then. Even if we will never know, I think it's still better than forcing him to tell us. Or else he's going to have to go through the pain of hearing those… Voices, in his head."

 **Two days later**

Mortifer has been back for two days now. Yesterday, after Mortifer got his well-deserved sleep, the five of us began cleaning up the Island from the storm that just occurred as well as other random things that we decided did not fit in with what we want in the Island. In short, most of the Island is going to be changed, either by constructing something new or renovating.

There was a rather small and unclean fishing dock which we had built long ago for Mortifer to use, but we've now decided to simply remove it. The forge and the storage building on the surface will also be expanded upon to give Rizer more space to work with. We are also revamping the basement, making the first room we enter some sort of meeting hall whilst also making it become Paradox's new lab space. The sleeping quarters will also be redone to make the area look a lot cleaner. As for the tree grove, tons of new plants will be added there since we now have enough money to purchase things from the 47th Floor, also known as the Flower Garden. We've also made planned to create another flower garden somewhere inside the tree grove.

Just around the tree where Mortifer's grave used to be, Rizer, Mortifer and Cayonz will dig up the area and create a man-made river. A small bridge will connect the small island to everything else. On that small island with the giant tree, a small gazebo will be built right on top of the grave. I was surprised to find out that this was Mortifer's idea, and he said he wanted to make it in the tree grove because it is the most peaceful place on the Island. The main reason why he wanted one was so he could find a place to meditate. Right now, he's mostly using the roof of the house as his spot.

Other than that, the only two things we aren't touching is the main house, and the campfire area, since we thought they were perfect already. Speaking of the campfire, everyone is currently there, impatiently waiting for the _Ragout Rabbit Meat_ I was cooking on the fire. I had turned it into a _Ragout Stew_ and cooked it out here as a celebration party. Everybody was intoxicated with the fumes that came out of the boiling pot.

"A watched pot never boils." I told them, "Just do something else while we wait."

"Oh, come on Violet." Mortifer stood up from his seat and smiled, "You know you want to taste it as soon as possible, just like all of us."

"You got me there…" I laughed out, happy to see Mortifer's bright smile, "It should be done in about five minutes, so just sit tight. If you can't, then go fetch the bowls for the stew."

"I got it!" Rizer exclaimed whilst lying on the ground. He quickly stood up and ran back to the house.

"Don't forget the utensils!" I shouted.

"Yeah, don't worry!" Rizer shouted back in response as he stumbled into the house.

"I have a feeling he is going to need some assistance…" Cayonz mumbled as he began standing up, "I'm scared of him running back here carrying five fragile bowls and utensils."

"Yeah, you should probably go check on him." Paradox smiled.

Cayonz walked over to the house to help Rizer carry the dinner equipment, leaving only me, Mortifer and Paradox by the campfire. Paradox was busy looking at a catalog of different flowers that we can buy from the 47th Floor. Mortifer was now lying on the grass and looking up at the sky. His eyes seemed very distant, as if he were daydreaming. His eyes suddenly widened and he quickly sat up. He began opened his menu and then his inventory. He scrolled through his large inventory and found a certain item, which he materialized.

"Hey Paradox, catch!" Mortifer called out to her. He threw Paradox a small drawstring bag which gave off glass-like sounds. Paradox yelped, dropped her catalog, and caught the flying drawstring bag.

"At least give me some time to ready myself to catch it… What's in here" she asked him.

"A bunch of ingredients you can use for your laboratory, including a few vials of liquid ingredients." Mortifer stated, "The vials with black fluid contains venom from a certain snake I fought, and it is really potent. Be careful with those now."

"Thanks, but… Do you really think I'll be able to make healing potions out of ingredients that originated from deadly monsters?" Paradox questioned.

"Who knows?" Mortifer laughed out, "In Greek mythology, drinking blood from the right side of the Gorgons would resurrect someone from the dead, while blood from the left side is an instant death. You can easily drink venom from any animal and be unharmed since venom only affects the bloodstream."

"How exactly do you know all of this stuff?" I questioned him.

"I love history and mythology. Is that like taboo for gamers?"

"No, you just didn't seem like the type to care about school." I told him.

"Well whatever. By the way, it's been five minutes." Mortifer said, checking the time on his menu.

I quickly rushed over to the pot and moved it away from the fire. Cayonz and Rizer were already heading our way, holding the silverware and plates. Mortifer set up the large blanket we were going to eat on while Paradox propped up the wind barrier to keep the fire from going out as well as keeping as warm in the winter night. When everyone gathered, I removed the lid of the pot and took in the amazing smells. My body tingled with excitement, and so did everyone else's. We didn't even say thanks and began wolfing down the stew.

"I'm so glad I lived long enough to taste this." Mortifer sighed as he wolfed down the stew.

"This has to be the best thing I've ever tasted in my entire life." Rizer exclaimed.

"I'll have to agree with you on that one Rizer." Cayonz added in, "I've traveled to many different places and tried many different foods. This has to be the best food I've ever eaten."

"My Cooking isn't even Complete, yet this tastes so good!" I said as my mind melted from the wonderful flavors.

"I could eat this everyday, for the rest of my life…" Paradox squealed with delight.

Nobody really talked for the rest of the meal as we were too busy trying to get in as much food as possible. The piece of meat I used was rather large, so the amount of stew I made was also of equal size. That didn't matter since we wolfed it down in mere minutes of it being finished cooking. The aftermath of our meal consisted of an overturned pot, extra laundry, and five players who were completely filled to the maximum, lying down on the grass, satisfied from the meal.

"How much of the _Ragout Rabbit Meat_ did you use for that meal Violet?" Rizer asked me.

"I used only one, but it was one of the bigger pieces of meat." I answered.

"That means there's only twenty-nine left in the cold storage. We can eat that rabbit everyday for a whole month." Mortifer informed us.

"I wish we can go into that dungeon you were in Mortifer. I want to hunt more _Ragout Rabbit_ and to have it for every meal for the rest of our time in this game." Paradox wished.

Everyone also wished for that to happen. Everyone except for Mortifer who lied down beside me. His face did not seem happy after hearing Paradox's statement but rather grim. He then sat up and looked towards the campfire.

"We can't go into that dungeon, because its already gone." Mortifer stated with a rather serious tone, "Even if it didn't collapse, I would not dare go back in there. Never again do I want to experience that hell, nor do I want any of you to experience it. Even with my high level, I barely managed to survive. Cloud told me that the dungeon can only be entered by people whose heart is infected with darkness. The reason for that is because only those who have darkness can survive the horros of that cave. At least that's what I believed. I was on the verge of going insane in that dungeon, as I had no clue what was real and what was not."

"But you didn't go insane." I quickly interrupted, sitting up and grabbing Mortifer's hand, "You're still you, and you will always be you because you are the strongest person we've ever met. Both physically and mentaly." Everyone sat up and nodded their heads, agreeing with my statement.

"Hey, how about we do a huge barbecue once we finish the Island?" Rizer suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Cayonz agreed, "I wonder how this rabbit would taste like if it were barbecued on an open fire."

"Hey let's toast!" Mortifer shouted as he ran over to grab the barrel of rum which Rizer had bought specifically for himself. He placed it in the middle of the circle we made and went over to get five mugs.

"Mortifer, you know Paradox and I can't drink." I told him.

"Oh come on, it's just a game Violet! Have some fun!" Mortifer exclaimed.

"Did you already drink a few mugs Mortifer? You seem a bit too happy at the moment." Paradox questioned.

"I can't be happy about being with my friends? Come on you guys, I want to have fun and catch up!" Mortifer pleaded.

Cayonz and Rizer smiled as they took their mugs and filled it to the brim with the alcohol. Paradox and I looked at each other. I'm only nineteen and I believe Paradox is only fourteen. Since it was just a game and it wasn't real alcohol, we shrugged our shoulders and began filling up our own mugs with the alcoholic beverage.

"Hey Mortifer, are you above the drinking age?" I asked him.

"Uh… What's the drinking age in Japan again?" he asked me.

"It's twenty years old."

"Yup. I turned twenty earlier this year." Mortifer gleefully said as he began filling his own mug with rum. He then held his mug up into the air, "Come on everyone, let's celebrate! Cheers!"

"Cheers!" the rest of us shouted in unison.

Together, we began swallowing our drinks. Paradox, Mortifer and I started coughing at the first taste of the rum, causing Cayonz and Rizer to laugh. Mortifer continued drinking while Paradox and I hesitated. Does alcohol always taste this bad? What's this burning sensation I'm feeling? How do people drink this stuff and get addicted to it? I stopped dwelling on it and forced myself to drink more. After seeing me drinking more, Paradox also began drinking. In the end, everyone managed to finish their entire mug.

"Is that really what alcohol tastes like?" Paradox groaned.

"It's pretty accurate." Rizer answered, "Though I don't think it's a good idea for your first drink to be something as powerful as rum. Had I known all of us were going to drink, I would've gotten something lighter like ale or just regular beer."

"Why would you buy a barrel if you're probably going to be the only one who's drinking it anyway?" I asked him.

"Unfortunately, the place I went to only had barrels of rum instead of just bottles. Luckily we made use of the extra alcohol in there with this toast we just had. If I had drunk all that rum, I'm confident I would've turned into an alcoholic."

"Oh dear, now I regret saying toast…" Mortifer mumbled as he put his hand on his head, "I think my body just went straight to hangover. The world is keeps twisting and turning for me."

"Well now we know who has the weakest stomach." Cayonz laughed, making the rest of us laugh along with him, "Usually people with fast metabolism get drunk easily and sober up quickly. I don't know how you went straight to hangover. I guess the NerveGear you're wearing skipped a step in the process."

"Well, now I'm discouraged to drink in real life. I'm going to take a nap now…" Mortifer mumbled as he stood up and slowly walked back to the house.

"Yeah it's getting pretty late. Let's all go back inside the house." Cayonz suggested as he looked for the position of the moon, "I'll put out the fire. You guys go on ahead."

 **A few hours later, past midnight**

My room was dark and the house was silent. Even though I felt tired after eating the rabbit and doing all that hard work fixing up the Island, I couldn't sleep. The bed that once made me sleep comfortably for long hours every night is now cold and hard. Did someone switch my mattress? No, because everyone else's mattresses are the same as mine, even the ones down in the basement. It's probably because so many things have been happening that's making me happy, and my body can't seem to handle it.

Mortifer's return is the only thing I could think of. Ever since he helped us pay Argo the money we needed to find him, I've been longing for him for so long. Now that I look back at it, I find it odd that the wish I made during Christmas time came true, even the part about me almost dying. Even the time we went to Algade and saw Mortifer's wanted poster. I had wished that we were not on _The Reaper_ 's target list, but it turns out we were. These thoughts about Mortifer lingered in my head longer than I wanted them to until I couldn't stand it anymore. I should probably go talk to him in private.

I pushed my blanket away and put on my night shoes. Since the moonlight was not shining through my window, my room was rather dark, giving me trouble finding my way through the door despite the numerous times I've walked to it already. When I finally made why way there, I opened the door and got scared out of my mind when I saw Mortifer standing there, mid-knock.

"Jeez Mortifer, you scared me." I exclaimed in a low voice.

"Sorry." Mortifer whispered back, "You also scared me a bit as well. Were you going to go downstairs?"

"I was going to head to your room and wake you up, though it seems that is no longer necessary. Were you even able to sleep after you went back inside after the party?"

"No. My headache was pretty severe. Even now it still hurts a bit." Mortifer stated, "I wanted to talk to you. May I come in?"

"S-Sure…" I said as I fully opened the door to let him walk in.

Mortifer entered my room and walked over to my bed to take a seat. I closed the door behind me and followed, sitting right next to him. Although it seemed like he had a lot in his mind to talk about, he stayed silent for a good minute, which made it quite awkward for me as I simply sat there and waited for him to make a move.

"So the reason why I didn't want to go back to you guys…" Mortifer began whispering to me quietly, "Well, after the incident with Paradox and those four players, I didn't really remember what happened to me that night. Cloud apparently told me that I had fallen off the cliff at the Edge of the World, and the game considered be dead even before I hit the water. Cloud however saved me from the fall whilst also saving my character's data from being deleted by the game. Most of it at least…"

"So, is that why the Monument of Life says that you've been dead since the fourth of May last year?" I asked him.

"Yes… that's right… The next day, I met Cloud, who was at the time, a Quest-NPC. In reality, Cloud was a Mental-Health Counceling Program. A super-advanced AI that was created specifically to help players maintain their normal mental health levels. He had given me this quest, called The Darkness Within. The goal of the quest was to beat a certain cave which held our darknesses, although I had to go through months of power-leveling just so I could make it up to a level where I would be ready to challenge it. I fought through my worst fears. Spiders, heights, and death itself. I wouldn't have lived had my resolve been any less. I just wanted to see you again, and that's what drove me to complete that cave."

Mortifer's words made me happy, but at the same time, he seems to be remembering some awful memories about the cave. His body was cold just like after he fought _Laughing Coffin_. Even in the darkness of my room, I could see the fear he held in his face.

"At the very end of the cave, I met Cloud's darkness. A man named Sephiroth. He revealed to me the truth about the quest and that I can't be me without the darkness inside my heart. Cloud also told me that should I ever find myself in darkness, I should go seek for my light. That light that he told me to search for, is you."

If the room was well-lit, Mortifer would have been able to see just how red my face was when he told me that. My heart was beating so hard and fast, that Mortifer could have probably heard it with his insane perception skills.

"After they told me the truth, they disappeared and I was left all alone to fight this mysterious boss known as the _Shadows of Sorrow_. I didn't know how it managed to do it, but the boss split up into five different people, all of which I had to fight against. They were exact replicas of you, Rizer, Paradox, my brother Kirito, and even my cousin. They were exact replicas of the time I last say you guys. And because it was an exact replica of you guys, I couldn't find back… I just couldn't stand hurting you guys, even my own brother and cousin."

"If you couldn't hurt them… How are you here then?" I asked him. He was about to answer but hesitated for a moment.

"Will you promise not to tell the others?" he asked me with a very serious voice. I nodded in the darkness and he continued, "When I was brought down to the red zone, my darkness was let loose. I went on a rampage, killing all of the shadows I was facing. All self-control slipped from my grasp, as my hunger for blood was too high for me to calm down. Only after defeating the boss did I go back to my normal self. I felt so bad that I wanted to die. And then I just passed out. Even now, I'm deathly terrified of going into that state again. Just thinking about it…"

The faintest light reflected upon the single tear which streamed down Mortifer's cheek. He was crying now, but only a little bit. He buried his face in his hands and tried to stop himself from crying. Just through his movements and the sounds he made, I could tell it really was a terrible experience for him. Something which nobody should ever experience in a video game, let alone real life. Seeing Mortifer cry started making me want to cry along with him, but I knew I had to be strong if I wanted to help a friend who is currently weak. I put my hand on his head and pulled him close to my chest, where he continued crying in the darkness. This continued for minutes, neither of us speaking a single word to each other. It all ended when Mortifer pushed away from me and stood up.

"Thank you for listening to me…" he told me, "I'm going to go to sleep now."

I watched as he slowly walked back towards the door. As his hand reached for the handle, my body began moving without my consent. Losing all self-control, I stopped the hand that was reaching for the doorknob, quickly turned Mortifer around and took his face into my hands. I then pulled him into a warm, passionate kiss. I could tell he was surprised since he wanted to break away at first but knew I wasn't planning on letting him go. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me back.

Neither of us talked since neither of us wanted to ruin the moment. I had been waiting for it for so long now, and it may be the same for Mortifer. We slowly moved towards the bed, not separating our lips from each other. When we got to the side of my bed, I wrapped my arms around his neck, let myself fall, and pulled him down with me. His once cold body is now warm to hold. Everything from my reality seemed to disappear into the void, leaving only Mortifer behind. That was fine with me because he was the only thing I cared about at this moment. And from this point on, I will always care for him, no matter how many lives he takes. That's when I remembered something that was very important to me.

"Hey… Mortifer…" I whispered through our kissing, breaking the silence.

"What…" he responded, slowing down his pace so we could talk whilst making out.

"I still haven't heard you say it to me… I said it to you when you almost killed me. And I think you heard me say it when you and Cloud had visited the Island… I think it's about time you said it…"

"Yeah I guess so…" he laughed out through our kiss. He then broke away from me, causing me to whimper slightly.

Somehow, the moonlight shone through my room's window, illuminating part of Mortifer's face. I could see his wonderful smile as well as the one tear that still rested on his cheek. Even through all of that kissing, that tear didn't move. He used his hands to brush my hair, straightening it out since it got messy when we got on the bed. He then took my right hand off his neck and held it tightly in his own.

"It does not matter to me if you do not care for my being… It does not matter to me if you do not love me back… It does not matter to me if you do not look my way… It does not matter to me if you do not even remember me for who I am… Because I will always remember you, and how much you meant to me… I love you Violet, and I promise to stay by your side until you let go of me."

"I will never let go of you. Because just like you said earlier, I am your light, and you are mine…"

 **The next morning**

It was bright even before I opened my eyes, as the sunlight was going through my window and beaming itself on me. As I moved my hand to protect my eyes from the morning sun, Mortifer's hand slipped off and fell to my waist. Even with that slight movement he managed to wake up. He too was blinded with the bright sunlight and covered his eyes. He removed his arm from my waist and freed his other arm which I had buried when we cuddled to sleep.

"Does this always happen to you in the morning?" Mortifer asked me.

"Pretty much." I giggled, laughing at his first words to me in the morning.

"Why do you not have curtains then?!" Mortifer exclaimed as he quickly sat up from the bed. He opened his menu to check the curren time, "Hmm… We've slept in. Everyone's probably downstairs eating breakfast already."

"I'm not that surprised. After all, we fell asleep at around three o' clock in the morning." I told him, "Let's go downstairs now."

Mortifer and I tidied ourselves up before we went downstairs whilst holding each other's hands. I could already hear everyone eating and talking downstairs, and they became silent at the sound of me and Mortifer walking downstairs. When we turned the corner to reveal ourselves to everyone in the dining room, they merely looked at us blankly. We awkwardly stared at each other for a few moments and that's when Paradox began smiling.

"It was bound to happen at some point during your return." Paradox beamed, "I'm surprised it happened so quickly though. So, how far did you guys go?"

"N-No!" I began blushing, "W-We only kissed and s-slept in the same bed together. Nothing else!"

Everyone, including Mortifer, laughed as my face turned dark red with embarrassment. I couldn't help but laugh myself although I couldn't revert my cheek color back to normal. Cayonz, Rizer and Paradox invited us to join them in breakfast and we happily accepted.

 **(Mortifer)**

 **A week later**

We finally finished the island after a week of hard work. The log cabin was cleaned up, and the forge and storage were reconstructed. The gazebo inside the tree grove was also finished as well as the numerous smaller flower gardens located next to all the larger trees in the grove. The basement renovations were also done, making the Island reconstruction project complete.

Just like we planned, we had a barbecue using the _Ragout Rabbit Meat_ that I had obtained in the dungeon, as well as a variety of other foods. Once again, the rabbit tasted amazing. After the barbecue, everyone went to go do their free time activities. I didn't have anything to do, so I decided to go to the gazebo in the tree grove and started meditating there. After all, I made it for that specific reason. However, when I did get to the gazebo, Violet was already sitting inside, knitting a new cloak using a leather hide I obtained from a monster inside the cave. I guess this would be an okay time to talk to her.

"Hey there Violet." I called as I crossed the bridge leading to the gazebo. She looked up and smiled, happy to see me.

"I'm almost done with it." She said as she kept knitting, "Originally, I was going to use the leather to create you a new cloak until you showed me that _Herculean Black Cloak_. This one will be for Cayonz since his cloak is of a low-quality material since we didn't have the money or resources to make a better one for him. Speaking of creating things, I believe Rizer is planning on making you a new sword, though he is going to need help in getting a certain rare metal. I believe it is called a _Crystalline Ingot._ When are you planning on going with him to fetch that metal?"

"No clue. I want to rest for now. All that hard work we did on the Island for the past week is certainly taking its toll on me. How about you?" I asked her.

She simply smiled and set her current project aside. She then rested her head on my shoulders. We sat there, listening to the leaves rustling in the wind and the waves of the ocean around us crashing onto the rocky shore of the Island. The peace and tranquility in this area was perfect for meditating. When I closed my eyes, I was reminded of a certain item which I had obtained in the dungeon. I then smiled and grew nervous as I looked at Violet.

"You know, I hope we can get out of this death game. I want to go to places with you on the other side." She told me.

"Yeah… I want to travel around the world with you as well. But right now, how about we live our lives here in Aincrad?" I told her as I began opening my inventory.

"What do you mean?" She asked me.

I began searching my inventory for the certain item I was looking for. I had forgotten the name of it, but I knew it was a necklace. When I did find it, I materialized it in my hands. Yes, this was the right necklace. It was the silver necklace that I had found inside the _Vault of the Ancients_. The one with the purple diamond gemstone at the center of its pendant. Violet was instantly mesmerized by the beauty of the jewelry. I then kneeled in front of Violet as I began putting the necklace around her neck.

"Violet," I started saying, "I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you in both Aincrad and the other side. I know you're supposed to do it with a ring, but I could not find any ring that could possibly top this necklace I found specifically for you. I also know it is just a game, but Violet… Will you marry me?"

Violet didn't respond since she was rather shocked at my actions. I could feel my cheeks blush in embarrassment as I waited for her answer. That's when I saw her shed one tear of joy and gave me the happiest smile she's ever given me ever since I first met her in this death game.

"Idiot…" she laughed out, "Even if it is just a game and not real life, my feelings and actions are real. Of course I'll marry you."

We both stood up and held each other in a tight, warm embrace. We then kissed each other on the lips and stayed like that for the longest time. Afterwards, we remained in our embrace and listened to the sounds of nature around us and the flow of the man-made river. The peace was interrupted however, by the sound of snapping twigs.

"Hey, hey, hey!" I called out, "If you think eavesdropping on us is a good idea, you guys better rethink your decisions."

"Did he really hear the twig snap? It was so quiet!" Rizer's voice whispered from one of the nearby trees.

"How am I supposed to know? He's Mortifer!" Paradox's voice answered in response to Rizer's question.

"You guys!" Violet began giggling, "If I can hear you, then it is obvious Mortifer can hear you too. There's no need to hide from us."

"Ugh, and here I thought we could get away with it and surprise you guys by saying we already knew…" Rizer groaned as he, and Paradox walked out from behind the trees. Cayonz didn't seem to be with them, "Well congrats on getting engaged. We going to hold a wedding ceremony or something?"

"Hey, that's a great idea." Violet beamed as she looked at me, "Let's do that!"

 **A week later**

Because Violet wanted one, the wedding ceremony will be held on the last day of March. The only people celebrating it will be us. To make it seem realistic and slightly comedic, Cayonz intends to be the "priest". For some reason, he knows the wedding ritual, or so he says. After the wedding ceremony, everyone suggested for me and Violet to go on a honeymoon. We were both surprised but they insisted that we go on one since we are already having a wedding ceremony. Our plans for that is to rent a home at the 47th Floor

While Paradox gathered more flowers to shower us with during the ceremony, Violet had started sewing her dress and is almost done. She will do my suit afterwards. We'll most likely throw both of them away since they are useless when it comes to fighting.

Cayonz, Rizer and I went on a trip to the 55th Floor. We obtained the rare Crystalline Ingot so Rizer could make a sword out of it. Originally, it was just going to be my new sword but now its turned into my wedding gift. However, this bothered me.

I sat on the edge of my bed, wondering why I'm so bothered by it. Have I forgotten about something important? If so, then what is it? I continuously tapped my foot on the floor, annoyed by the fact I couldn't remember. Sword. Gift. There's something I don't remember, and that thing I don't remember feels like it is crucial. Extremely crucial. Do I still have amnesia? It doesn't feel like it. No, I'm stupid. Of course I won't feel anything since I won't even remember if I got amnesia in the first place. God this is hopeless. Might as well start with checking my menu.

I opened the menu and revealed my inventory, which had an abundant amount of items in there. Most were materials, some were mob drops while only a handful are the equipment I have on me. But when I continuously scrolled down the seemingly endless list, something caught my eye. I stopped the scrolling window and went back up to spot two certain items. Both of them had a sort of animated icon, unlike all the other item, nor did it have a symbol that tells me what type it is. Though I only needed to see the name in order for me to know and remember what they are. _Sword of Light_ and _Sword of Darkness._

Memories of that moment came flooding into my head. Although it was a painfully sad memory, the Voices did not emerge, which was weird. I remember Cloud giving me this the _Sword of Light_ while Sephiroth gave me the _Sword of Darkness_ at the same exact time.

How could I have forgotten about these two swords? In fact, how did _The Reaper_ not notice any of this in his inventory? Even XaXa didn't notice these two swords. Speaking of two swords… I exited my inventory and checked out my  Skills window. I scrolled down to find Darkness Blade which I remembered. As I continued even further, I found the other skill: Dual Blades. The same skill I used to defeat the _Shadows of Sorrow_.

"So, you have a Unique Skill?" A voice behind me mumbled.

It startled me so much that I jumped and moved my hand to my sheathed sword. I turned to see Rizer standing behind me, holding what seems like a newly made sword. Has he been there the whole time? Was I so focused on my menu that I did not hear Rizer's footsteps, or did he purposely try to sneak in?

"More like two Unique Skills, am I right? Or wrong?"

Rizer left me speechless. I couldn't move my mouth to respond. I was just too shocked. I never wanted anybody to know about this, except maybe one person. Now that Rizer's seen it, there's no way I can lie about it to him.

"Yeah… I forgot about one of them until you mentioned making a new sword for me as a gift." I told him, "Speaking of which, I'm assuming that's mine?"

"Yeah, it is. Though it doesn't seem like you'll need it with those two other weird swords you had."

So, he noticed both the _Sword of Light_ and _Sword of Darkness_ also. Sure there was no symbol, but having a name that says "Sword" is also a dead giveaway. That means I can't lie about that either, though I think I'll eventually tell everyone or be forced to use it.

"Rizer, can you promise me to not tell anybody about this?" I pleaded him, "Especially not Violet. Out of everyone, she is the person who can not know my secret."

Rizer looked at me with intense eyes. I could tell that he wants to tell her about it, but I tried my best to make him promise. We stared at each other for a few seconds until Rizer let out a sigh.

"Fine. I won't tell her." Rizer agreed, "But what am I going to do with this sword? I used that rare _Crystalline Ingot_ to make this. It's a decent sword too. It's called _Dark Repulser_."

"I'll keep the sword for now and use it as my main weapon. I don't plan on using my two swords that much. Oh yes, that reminds me. There was this one other item…"

I opened my inventory once again and searched the list. I found what I was looking for and equipped the weapon. A giant two-handed sword with a bright shining gem in the middle materialized in my hands. Since I tried holding it with one hand, I dropped the blade from the sheer weight of it. I then picked it up with both my hands held it in my arms.

"What the hell?" Rizer exclaimed, "Why are you carrying around a two-handed sword?"

"I found it in the Cave, the same place where I found all my money. The sword's name is _Dawnbreaker_. It's a Demon Sword that requires a high _STR_ attribute. I hope yours is high enough to wield it."

I showed the blade to Rizer who took it gingerly. He examined the weapon's stats and his eyes grew wide in shock.

"This is most definitely a Demon Sword. From the looks of it, it is a Legendary Weapon. I'm not strong enough yet. If I level up a few more times, then I'll be able to wield it."

"I was afraid of that." I admitted as I took _Dark Repulser_ from Rizer, "I guess we can work on getting you a bit stronger as we wait for the wedding."

I replaced my current sword with _Dark Repulser_ and put it in my sheath. Rizer carried _Dawnbreaker_ over to the entrance of the forge. I wonder if he'll be able to carry that up to his attic room.

"Oh, and Mortifer…" Rizer turned around to speak to me, "I'm just going to say this now. I'm not so great at keeping secrets, especially ones that I know I should tell others about. I'll try to keep your secret as best as I can, but I will inevitably tell someone just a little bit about it."

He turned back around and entered the forge, leaving me all alone. Of course, I didn't expect Rizer to completely keep it a secret. Even I can't keep it a secret for long, especially since I'm getting married to Violet. With marriage, a player will be able to completely see the stats of their partner and all their items.

I'm not entirely sure if Violet will be able to see my Unique Skills but I don't want her to see my blades either. Either way, I need to find a safe place for my weapons.

I headed upstairs and entered my room. I opened up my closet, which had no clothes but a single chest. I opened it up to reveal all the Cor I collected during my time in the Cave. I stored my twin swords inside the chest and closed it right away.

"I'll come back for you Cloud… Sooner or later…"

/

/

/

If the quality of the chapters seem to be getting worse then I do apologize. And if you thought that the love stuff was cringe, then you're not alone because I thought they were cringe as well. Anyways, I think I may just stop classifying words using _this_ and  that just so I can post the story ASAP. I'll do them later on, though I doubt most of you cared for _these_ things in the first place.


	19. Chapter 18: Honeymoon

**March 31** **st** **, day of the wedding**

"God these clothes are so itchy!" I complained loudly but Cayonz hit me on the head right away.

"If Violet hears you say that she's going to be mad." Cayonz stated, "Plus she spent a lot of time working on our clothes so you should at least be grateful."

"But still-"

"No buts. Now come on, we need to get ready at the gazebo. It would be rude and uncalled for the bride had to wait for the groom."

The two of us climbed up from the basement stairs and encountered Rizer waiting for us. He had Dawnbreaker strapped to his back. Just like what I had told him a while ago, he trained until he got strong enough to wield the weapon. The weapon is truly a force to be reckoned with.

"Good, you're ready. I just finished decorating the place." Rizer explained to us, "Paradox is still helping out Violet in her room. We have time to set up."

"You should get ready to. Flowerboy is the most crucial part of this wedding." I teased him, "We finally get to see your kid side by throwing petals at us."

"Shut up. It wasn't my choice to do this. Violet forced me to."

Both Cayonz and I laughed as we exited the house and walked down the path to the gazebo. The grass around the structure was littered with flower petals. My mind began to relax as the fragrant aroma of flowers seeped into my nose.

Even though I did not want a wedding like this, I should at least be happy. Depending on Violet's parents, this may be the last time I'll ever experience something like this.

Cayonz and I waited under the roof of the gazebo while Rizer retrieved his basket of flower petals. We waited for a good five minutes before I heard the sound of a door opening.

I looked over to the front porch of the house and out came the two girls. Violetwas dressed in a white-pink kimono dress, outlined with purple streaks. She also wore a lavender headpiece that held her hair in a bun. She held an oil-paper umbrella in her hands and used it to protect her from the sun.

"Where in the world did she get an umbrella in this death game?" I whispered quietly to Cayonz.

"How should I know?" Cayonz responded back sharply.

With Violet and Paradox approaching us, Rizer began to throw the flower petals in the grass in front of the two. He obviously did not like his job and the face he made looked ridiculous. I tried my best to hold my laughter in, biting myself hard on the lips.

The moment my urge to laugh died is the same moment Violet finally stood by my side. Paradox took a few steps back and stood beside Rizer, who threw the empty basket away. I took Violet's spare hand and held it in my own. We turned to Cayonz who cleared his throat and began speaking.

"Welcome! We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments of love and bonding. We add our best wishes and blessings to the words that will unite Mortifer and Violet."

Seeing it from movies and in real life, Cayonz should be using our real names but since he doesn't know them, he's using our avatar names. Though it doesn't really matter that much anyway.

"Would the bride and groom please face each other and join hands." Cayonz instructed us.

We did as we were told and look at each other in the eyes. To me, her eyes have always been the same, ever since the night I met her. Even in broad daylight, her eyes twinkled like the night sky.

"Mortifer, do you take Violet to be your wife?" Cayonz began reciting the vows, "Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only to her forevermore?"

"I do." I simply replied.

"And Violet, do you take Mortifer to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only to him forevermore?"

"I do." Violet responded with a smile.

"Typically this is where the readings will start but since we have nothing, we'll just skip it." Cayonz muttered quietly, making Violet giggle a little, "We'll just go on to your personal vows. Starting with you Mortifer."

I got caught off guard at the moment since I wasn't told I would have to do this. Personal vows? Maybe I can just repeat what Cayonz said earlier and add a little bit more.

"I, Mortifer, take thee Violet, to be my wife. In sickness and in health. I promise my love to you forevermore. And no matter what happens, I promise you that I will get you out of this death game, safe and sound."

"I, Violet, take thee Mortifer, to be my husband." Violet began stating her vows to me, "In sickness and in health. I promise my love to you forevermore. And as for my promise to you, I promise to always stay by your side, no matter how far away I will have to travel. And I will always protect you as you have done for me."

Cayonz then proceeded to pull out a necklace and a silver ring. The ring was my own. The one that I found in the Vault of the Ancients. The necklace was the one I had given to Violet. We decided to use these as our sign of marriage rather than simple rings for the both of us.

I took Violet's precious necklace and carefully put it around her neck. She helped me out by moving her hair out of the way. The single purple diamond at the center of the necklace seemed to shine brighter than usual.

Moments after, Violet took the silver ring and inserted my right ring finger through the circular opening. She rotated the ring, observing it carefully since she never had the chance to do so. She noticed the skull engraving and the two black diamond eyes. She stopped observing the ring and held both my hands tightly. Cayonz then continued speaking.

"Mortifer and Violet in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in Matrimony, have promised your love for each other by these vows, the giving of the ring and necklace and the joining of your hands, I now declare you to be husband and wife."

The moment seemed to last for eternity. Time slowed to a stop for me. I observed everything that happened. The tear that fell from Violet's eyes. Paradox and Rizer watching us and smiling. Even Cayonz's mouth as he began speaking the final words.

"You may now kiss the bride."

I moved my face closer to Violet and she did the same. We both closed our eyes as we moved our faces closer and closer together until our lips finally touched. The cheers from Paradox and the clapping of Rizer sounded in the background. Our kiss lasted for a few seconds until we parted and hugged each other tightly.

"Okay show is over!" Rizer shouted, "Let's go eat some rabbit!"

 **(Violet)**

 **A few hours later**

I had just finished getting out of my kimono and back into my usual gear. Getting to Panareze from here will take us some time, and the house that we are planning to rent in the 47th floor is also half an hour from Floria, the main city. By the time we get to our home, it's probably going to be sunset.

With everything that I need in my inventory, I headed downstairs and exited the house. Mortifer has already finished with his belongings. He wore the brand new skull mask I created for him. He motioned for me to hurry up, which I did.

"I'll miss you guys while you're away." Paradox spoke, a single tear streaming down her eye.

"Rizer, I'm leaving you in charge while I'm gone" Mortifer told him, "I suggest all of you to stick together at all times whenever you guys go away from the Island. Though I also suggest you not to leave the Island at all."

"We're probably going to have to leave at some point." Rizer responded, "With Violet gone, we can't eat any food since none of us can cook. Being SAO, we still have hunger problems in game."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to try something new!" I encouraged them, "That's how I got started with Tailoring and Cooking. Before SAO, I had never cooked a single meal or sewn a piece of clothing in my life."

"That is if they still have a skill slot open for cooking." Mortifer put in, "But don't worry. We shouldn't be gone for a super long time. Maybe three weeks or so, depending on my mood."

"If you guys really need us, just message me!" I informed them with a smile. I then held onto Mortifer's hand and pulled on it, "Come on Mortifer. If we don't hurry the sun will set on us."

I forcefully dragged him away from the Island, overlyexcited about this honeymoon trip. Even though it's just an in-game marriage, a honeymoon trip around Aincrad won't hurt. After all, if we are spending our days here in Aincrad, might as well get the most of it before we go away.

 **Later that night, 47** **th** **floor Magnolia**

Our home wasn't necessarily a big one, but it was enough for just the two of us. There was one bedroom with two beds, but Mortifer still decides to sleep in the living room since he's afraid of having nightmares and doing something bad. There's also a small kitchen for me to do my cooking. We had a balcony that overlooked a gigantic field of flowers.

As for location, the house was located at the edge of Magnolia, the settlement nearest Floria, the main city of this floor. Right next to our building was a path leading to the Forest of Giant Flowers, a low-level field dungeon. Further away is another field dungeon called the Hill of Memories. According to Mortifer, it is the most beautiful part of this floor, but also the most dangerous.

Since it is nighttime though and we just traveled from the 24th floor, we decided to just rest. I had already slipped into my pajamas right when we entered our rented house. I was about to jump into bed when I noticed that the balcony doors were open.

I spotted Mortifer just sitting outside on the balcony, admiring the view. I wonder what he is thinking about right now, and whether or not he is happy about this honeymoon.

"You should go to sleep now Violet." Mortifer spoke. He must've sensed me watching him, "We're going to wake up early tomorrow, so we can explore Aincrad as much as possible. I already have everything planned out in my head."

He turned his head around to look at me. He gave me a smile that I had never seen on his face before. A smile of complete happiness.

"I just know that you will love the plans I made."

"And I don't doubt it." I responded to him, "You should sleep early too. I don't want to have to drag you out of bed."

 **A week later, very early in the morning**

I woke up to the sound of a table being flipped over. This will be the second time this has happened. I run out the bedroom and rushed over to the livingroom. The table right next to the couch was flipped over and all the items on top of it fell to the floor. The fragile glass items broke into thousands of polygons and disappeared.

Mortifer sat on the floor with his back rested on the couch. His breathing was ragged, and his eyes looked severely bloodshot. He had his face buried in his hands and sounded like he was crying.

I slowly approached him, carefully avoiding all the fallen items. I sat down next to him and began rubbing his back. He continued sobbing quietly and I continued rubbing his back, trying to comfort him.

"What was it about this time?" I asked him.

In his previous dream, Mortifer said that he was running from something. A giant monster made of shadows. He said that he's seen it before, in a dream he had long ago while he was still in the Cave.

"I was in an arena…" he began explaining, his voice weak and hoarse, "There was blood everywhere. At first there were people restraining me with chains… Then my body started moving on my own…"

He looked at me, straight into my eyes. Although all I saw was darkness, it felt like something was screaming out towards me.

"I took the chains that bound me and obliterated those who held my chains… I smashed them into the walls, destroying their bodies completely… There were also people watching us, and they all ran in terror. I dispatched a handful of them without any control of my body. But the worst part was when I saw you…"

I stopped him right away by putting my hand to his mouth, knowing already what must've happened. I pulled his head close to my chest, letting him rest on my shoulders. His body is ice cold. I almost wanted to pull away because of how cold it was but as his wife, I have to endure his hardships too.

"Here, get up…" I told him as I tried pulling him up from the floor "You're sleeping with me."

"No, I can't." he said fighting back, "Look at what I did just now. I can't be near anybody if I go to sleep. What if I-"

I put my finger on his lips and shushed him. I pulled him up from the floor, my finger still on his lips. I dragged him all the way to the bedroom and opened the door. I led him to the bed and pushed him down. He didn't resist anymore and just let himself fall down on the bed.

I got in bed with him and pulled the blanket over us. I took hold of one of his hands and held it tightly. The cold in his transferred to my own until they gave off the same heat. We stared at each other in the eyes for a long time. Neither of us spoke a single word, afraid of what will happen when we do. Eventually, Mortifer's eyes began to droop until he began to snore lightly.

"Goodnight, Mortifer."


	20. Chapter 19: Familiar Faces

**(Mortifer)**

 **Two days later, in the fields of the 50** **th** **floor**

"This floor has nothing interesting except for Algade, and even that place is a garbage dump." Mortifer complained, "Why are we here?"

"You know… I've forgotten." I admitted nervously, giving Mortifer a smile. He let out a long sigh and stopped in his tracks, "You want to stay home for the day? We don't need to keep going if you don't want to. We have been traveling non-stop for the past week anyway."

"Yeah, I want to rest my body a little bit." Mortifer yawned out as he stretched his arms, "Let's go back home. My body wants to just crash onto the sofa and sleep all day."

"You could've told me you were that tired. Then we wouldn't have to travel-"

Mortifer ended my statement abruptly by covering my mouth with his hand. He held a finger to his mouth, signaling me to be quiet. He closed his eyes and cupped his other hand to his ear. Knowing that something may be up, I also strained my hearing. I heard the faint sound of laughter.

Without a warning, Mortifer pulled my arm and dragged me to the sound originated from. Eventually, a river came into view, along with a bridge that connects the two sides of it. A dozen players stood in the middle of the bridge, though it seemed like eleven of them are teaming up against one person.

"If you don't give us information about the Clearing Group's popular hunting spots, we'll just kill you here and now!" one of the players yelled.

"Easy, easy! Can't we negotiate this out?" a voice responded.

The voice that responded sounded strangely familiar. When Mortifer and I took cover behind a thicket of grass, I focused my vision upon the one person being surrounded.

The person is a woman, small and skinny. She wore a hood that also darkened her face, but I could see markings on her cheeks. The girl's arms were wrapped in linen like a mummy, and her hands seemed to be encased in some sort of weapon, like brass knuckles. A closer look and I noticed that they were claws.

"Wait, claws?" I exclaimed, "Then that person must be!"

"Yeah, it's the Rat. Argo." Mortifer whispered quietly, "Those people around him though… It can't be…"

"Our boss has assigned us a special mission: to prevent the Clearing Guild from clearing this game." One of the hooded players told Argo, "You are Aincrad's number one information dealer and know almost everything from the 1st floor all the way to the 56th. Unless you tell us where their farming spots are, we will kill you right here, right now!"

"I'll tell you if you answer this question: Why do you need their hunting spots?" Argo negotiated.

"To ambush them of course. Our plan is to thwart the completion of the game. Killing the clearers would significantly decrease their chances. Although if you don't tell us, we can settle with just taking you down, Rat!"

Suddenly, the guy who was speaking got impaled with a sword. The blade's edge jutted out from his abdomen. He held a bewildered look on his face as his avatar disappeared from the world. With his avatar now gone, the person who had stabbed him became visible. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Mortifer there.

I turned to the spot where I thought Mortifer was, only to see him gone. When did he leave me? Judjing from our position and the guy who had died, there's no way Mortifer could've gotten to him without me seeing him. It's as if he were invisible!

"Y-You!" Argo exclaimed, completely surprised by Mortifer's appearance.

I remember now. Argo thought Mortifer was dead since we saw his belongings in that cave collapse. She even confirmed it at the Monument of Life in the 1st floor, which holds the names of all ten thousand players. Mortifer's name was crossed out, with the date May 4th written beside it. The same day that the Night of the Forest occurred.

"You will leave the Rat alone. Go back to your hideout, and tell PoH that if he ever goes after the Clearing Guild again, you will face my wrath!" Mortifer shouted.

"Mortifer, you're no longer part of Laughing Coffin." One of the hooded players spoke, "Your rank as a squad leader has been erased. That means we don't have to listen to your commands and such."

Were these guys Laughing Coffin? Their conversation would make sense if they were, but Mortifer once told me that they would rarely go to such a crowded floor, even if the mission is an important one.

"I don't know who you are, but do you think I care if I can't command you?" Mortifer spoke in a slightly demonic voice. He was obviously pissed, "PoH knows how powerful I am and that's why he's leaving me alone. I can cut you down with a single swing of my blade, just like what I did to your friend here. Are you really sure you want to talk back?"

The guy Mortifer was talking to drew out his sword. Mortifer seemed to smile and laugh at the sight of it, making me a bit scared. They were about to fight until two of the LC member's comrades stopped him.

"Fall back for now. He is definitely not someone you can handle." His comrade told him.

"Oh come on! This guy can't be that strong! There's eleven of us!"

"When Mortifer betrayed our guild, he apparently took down six LC members without even breaking a sweat. Not even XaXa-senpai managed to land a scratch on him, and he's one of our best swordsmen!"

"You guys will leave now, and return to base." Mortifer commanded them, "Or my blade will be stained by your blood."

The eleven Laughing Coffin members all began to back away from Mortifer and Argo. When they took a step on the grass, they all burst off into a sprint. The eleven hooded figures all entered a nearby forest, disappearing into the darkness.

Mortifer let out a long sigh and I emerged from the bush. I approached Mortifer, who is now looking at Argo, who sat on the ground with a frightened look on her face.

"Stand up Argo." Mortifer demanded the information broker, "We need to talk."

(Mortifer)

"Violet wait here." I told her as I pointed right below me, signaling her to stay put.

"W-Wait Mortifer, I thought you were-"

Argo began talking but I grabbed her by her hood and forcefully dragged her a good distance from the bridge. When I was sure that Violet couldn't hear us, I began asking Argo questions I needed answers for.

"I need you to take a look at something… Something I discovered during the time I was gone." I asked her as I began opening my Skills menu. I scrolled down until I found Darkness Blade and showed it to her, "This skill… Have you seen it before?"

"Darkness Blade? No I have never seen it before. Where'd you get that?" she exclaimed.

"I don't know how I got it, but I met someone who told me this is a Unique Skill. Tell me what you think of all of this."

I showed her the details of the skill as well as the status that I had already completed it, maxing everything out. She observed the abilities and read the descriptions for each one. I even showed her the Yami no Saji and its consequences. Her facial expression showed that she also didn't approve of such a terrible skill.

"The End… What's that?"

"I have no clue, and that's what scares me. Also, there's this other one…" I closed out of Darkness Blade and moved onto my other skill: Dual Blades, "I have no clue why, but I also have this one."

When she saw the skill Dual Blades, her eyes grew wide. When she noticed I was staring, her eyes returned to normal and she went back to reading the skill's description. Does she know something? Or is she surprised about my two Unique Skills?

"You must be real special to get two Unique Skills. Especially with both of them being so powerful." Argo praised me.

"I wouldn't consider it lucky, especially if one of them is Darkness Blade. Anyways, what do you think of them?" I asked her.

"Indeed I have never seen those skills before, and they seem to be considerably overpowered, especially Darkness Blade. What you used just now to ambush Laughing Coffin is the Cloak of Darkness, right? Speaking of which…"

She grabbed my arm and pulled up the sleeve of my cloak, revealing the Laughing Coffin tattoo embedded in my arm. I quickly pulled my sleeve back down to cover it, ashamed of my past sins.

"It was you wasn't it… You're the so-called Reaper of Laughing Coffin?" Argo interogatted me. I simply gave her a nod in reply, "I had a feeling it was you since all the stories say that the Reaper breaks the rules of the game. Your bounty is still going on. Even now, some players are searching frantically for you, despite the warnings that you are incredibly strong."

She paused for a few seconds, thinking up of something to say. I was slightly nervous what she will ask next.

"What happened to you in that Cave?" she asked me.

My response to her question was silence. It was not that I didn't want to tell her about it. It's just that I couldn't find the right words to describe it all. I still haven't told Violet and everyone else about it, so why tell Argo? Though it wouldn't hurt to tell her the simple truth about it.

"I became someone I am not entirely proud of. A total monster. That Cave is probably the closest you can get to Hell while still being alive. I had to experience more than a month of it."

"Well, anyway… Thanks for saving my butt there." Argo thanked me, "They would have killed me even if I told them, wouldn't they?"

"That's why I jumped in to rescue you."

"I owe you for saving me."

She began tinkering with her inventory until she materialized a medium sized sack. She shook the bag and the sounds of Cor jingling inside reached my ears. I shook my head and pushed the bag away.

"Keep the money. You earned it for working so hard in helping my friends search for me. Though I do want something in return…"

"I'll do anything, as long as its within my ability and doesn't include killing someone." Argo joked.

"I want you to give us information for free." I asked her

"What?" she said, completely bewildered.

"Basically, I want you to be our personal information dealer. Anything and everything I want to know for free. Is that fine?"

"Pay me ten thousand Cor now and I'll say yes." Argo said with a greedy smile.

"You are one greedy rat." I scoffed.

I opened my menu and proceeded to take out a bag of ten thousand Cor. I tossed the bag to Argo who caught it with ease. She opened the bag and admired its contents, smiling greedily and licking her lips. She looked up at me and gave me an even bigger smile. God she's weird.

"Okay, it's a deal. I'll give you information about anything and everything for free. This will be farewell. I am a very busy person." She took out a Teleport Crystal and held it up high saying: "Teleport, Pani!"

Argo's avatar disappeared into thin air and I was left all alone. I stared into the sky and sighed. I was hoping to find out if Argo knew anything about my Unique Skills, but it doesn't seem like that's the case. I guess I'll return home for now.

(Violet)

The next week, Hill of Memories

We've visited so many places in just these two weeks. Not all of them were exactly peaceful, such as the Forest of Giant Flowers. We also visited the 22nd floor for a whole day. The whole place is basically a forest yet there were rarely any mobs. Many fishermen lived in that area due to the abundance of lakes there.

We also returned to the 1st floor in search of any landmarks we failed to visit. I wanted to go to the Forest of Wavering Mist on the 3rd floor, but Mortifer turned it down completely. I asked him for the reason but he refused to give an answer. I gave up after a day or so or argueing.

Since this is our last full day of our honeymoon, we're strolling around the Hill of Memories. We were fully armed since it is a field dungeon is infested with monsters of higher levels, although Mortifer takes care of all of them almost instantaneously.

Other than the monsters, this place is absolutely beautiful. Flowers from all over the world blossomed everywhere, each and every one of them giving out a fragrant smell. Birds and insects flew about, pollinating the flowers. Every now and then I would see another couple walking around the field dungeon, or some person farming off of the monsters that appear. Everything was going so well until Mortifer told me to stop.

"What is it?" I asked him.

"You hear that?" He asked.

I began listening for something. At first, all I heard were the chirps of birds and the wind blowing. But then I began hearing a faint tune. The sound was barely audible, but it sounded soothing, relaxing, and beautiful.

"Where is it coming from?" I asked Mortifer.

"Let's go find out." He replied, expressing caution in his voice.

He grabbed my hand and dragged me to where he thinks the sound is coming from. The sound became more audible and I began to realize that it's someone singing. We followed the voice until we came upon a girl sitting under a tree.

She was picking at flowers while singing. As we began to move closer, she noticed us. Instead of being scared or running away, she smiled and waved at us. We waved back as we approached her.

We were about a couple meters away when I heard a loud rustling coming from the flower patch. Mortifer reacted faster than me. He drew out his sword and deflected an oncoming dagger. It was aimed at me. It fell on the ground with a thud and the singing girl ran out of sight behind the tree. I picked up the dagger and observed it. It's tipped paralysis poison. Paradox has taught me a little bit on different potions and poisons. This is a strong one that would have made me immobile for a few minutes had Mortifer not blocked it.

Then out of nowhere, five players appeared from flower patches, including the singing girl. There were two girls, both wielding daggers, a fairly tall guy with a giant shield, a guy with a one handed sword but held three knives in his spare hand. The last guy wielded a long staff.

"Gives us all your belongings including weapons and jewelry, and we will let you go unharmed." One of the guys threatened. It was the knife guy.

"Yeah right, like we would ever do that." Mortifer grunted.

"Listen up, we don't want to have to hurt you, but you're wasting our time right now. Give us your belongings and you can walk away free." The guy with the quarterstaff spoke. That voice... Where have I heard it from?

"You don't scare me..." Mortifer muttered.

He pulled out a teleport crystal and gave it to me. He then quickly pushed me with so much strength, I fell back a couple of meters away from him. The five players all ganged up on Mortifer, ignoring me. Looking at how they fought, Mortifer could have easily killed them but chose not to. He blocked, dodged, and parried every move they made. This isn't the first time I've seen Mortifer take five people at once, and with absolute ease. He disarmed the two girls and ripped the shield off of the guy using it.

The knife guy seemed to have an unlimited number of knives to throw but Mortifer's reaction speed was too fast. He deflected every blade thrown at him and fought them at the same time. The shield guy was sent sprawling when Mortifer kicked him. The quarterstaff guy tried to hit Mortifer but he grabbed the staff and flung him to my direction. He lost his grip on his weapon and was sent flying. Mortifer threw the pole far away, out of everyone's reach.

They circled around each other, waiting for whomever makes the first move. It was Mortifer, who with his game-breaking speed, tripped the knife guy and disarmed his weapon. Mortifer touched the tip of his sword to the guy's chin.

"I believe you have learned your lesson." He told the knife guy, who gritted back anger. "Come on, all of you, stand up."

He looked at me and pointed at the small staff guy who was near me. I drew out my rapier and started poking him, leading him to Mortifer. The rest of their group held their hands up and also grouped up in front of Mortifer, showing no resistance.

"Now tell me, why are you trying to steal from us?" He asked them. They all looked at each other.

"We're in debt to a dangerous guild. We need a lot of Cor to pay them back." The shield guy spoke.

"Don't say anything else Konno..." The knife guy exploded.

"But we need their help! They're strong!"

"Zed, he's right. We need help." The staff guy joined in.

"ViVi, I don't need any of your crap right now..." Zed grunted.

"ViVi!?" I exclaimed.

He looked towards me as if he noticed something more than just me calling his name. I pulled down my hood to reveal my face. I saw the person's eyes grow wide and he also pulled down his hood.

"Yuzu-" he began but I covered his mouth.

"Violet who is this?" Mortifer asked me.

"He's my cousin."

(Mortifer)

An hour later

Back at the island at the 24th floor

"So this is why I saw you that night? You were looking for him?" I exclaimed.

"Yeah... He asked me to do this quest with him. But then a whole bunch of monsters came out of nowhere and we were separated." Violet explained

"And I forgot to send you a friend request..." ViVi said as he buried his face. "I'm sorry I didn't check up on you Violet."

"It's fine. Mortifer saved me anyway." Violet forgave him. "But the bigger question: who are you in debt to?"

"It started when someone stole from us." Trish, the singing girl, started. "He stole a really rare item and so we got a guild to help us. They were successful but they required a high payment, and we didn't want to give away the item. So now we need two mega Col or they're going to come and kill us. We've managed to get half but the deadline is tomorrow."

"I can give you the money but I want to know who this guild is first." I told them.

"The guild?" ViVi spoke. He was about to say but he hesitated. "The guild..."

"Come on just tell us kid." Rizer grunted. Violet kicked him and he zipped his mouth.

"We're in debt to Laughing Coffin." Zed muttered. Had it not been for Paradox and Cayonz next to me, I would have fallen down. They helped me up as the voices in my head came back for the first time in a while.

"What's wrong, is it something I said?" Zed asked.

"It is exactly what you said." I answered, "God, why do I keep hearing that name everywhere…"

I immediately locked the doors and closed the blinds. I opened the basement door and motioned for everyone to follow. After we got settled, I slammed the table and which sent a few of Paradox's potions flying. Fortunately, she caught them.

"Careful!" Paradox shouted.

"Violet what's going on?" ViVi asked.

"If Laughing Coffin is hunting you down then we need to make sure all of you are safe." I explained to them. "Until they are dealt with, you need to stay here. This will be the second time this has happened, and in this month alone too…"

"Or we can just pay them the rest of the money and all will be fine." Konno suggested.

"No. PoH, their leader, is not trustworthy. Once you're in debt to them, they will take the debt that needs to be paid, and everything, including your life." I told them.

"How would you know that? You have no proof..." Zed complained.

Violet gave Zed the motion to cut it out but he Zed responded by holding his hand out to stop her. Anger and irritation grew in his face

"I say it's better to give them the money so then we won't have to fight anybody. Then we can just go back to normal. And how do you know so much about them? You even know their leader's name."

Violet face palmed herself and Paradox cleared the table from her potions. I looked at Zed with a dead serious look and began to pull up my sleeve, revealing the permanent Laughing Coffin tattoo embedded in my arm. Everyone except for Zed backed up.

"You're Laughing Coffin?!" ViVi explained.

"I was… Not anymore..." I muttered.

"Then what's with that tattoo?" Aqua, the other girl, exclaimed.

"A few months ago, I lost my memory. I had no clue what I was doing. But PoH noticed my power and recruited me. The reward? My memory." I explained to them. "And I got it back, but not without leaving a mark in the guild and in the people of SAO. This tattoo is permanent and I can't take it off."

I opened the drawer that contained all of those posters of The Reaper and set it down on the table for them to examine. I sensed it coming so I put my hand in front of my face and caught an incoming dagger. Rizer restrained the thrashing Zed who had an angry look.

"You should pay for your crimes! You've taken lives of innocent people!" Zed yelled.

"And you don't think that I feel the same?" I shouted in reply. "All of those people, I can hear all of them, here in my head. It's an endless screaming. I have to suffer this day and night. Every moment I'm awake, and asleep. Nightmares keep me awake every night, reminding me of how I killed all of them. And then it just repeats when I run out of victims, but even worse than the last. You have no idea what I've been through!"

"You two, break it up!" Violet demanded. "We get it, you don't like Mortifer because he has killed people, but just face the truth. He is your best chance of surviving."

"Zed please listen to her. She's right. We have nowhere else to go." Aqua, the other girl persuaded.

"Fine but once we are safe, I'm leaving this place." Zed growled. He stormed out of the basement, and slammed the door behind him. It was silent for a long time until I remembered that Laughing Coffin is coming after us.

"Paradox, set up traps around the forest. Rizer join her. Nobody can do things alone anymore. Cayonz, you don't mind doing a night shift would you?" I asked.

"Not a problem." Cayonz replied.

"Violet, get everyone settled down. We have plenty of room in the sleeping quarters." I told her.

"What are you going to do?" She asked me.

"Do a little scouting. I know where their base is, but I can't risk someone else going along with me."

"But what if you get caught or we get into trouble, how will either of us know? We can't message each other."

"Don't worry about me. And as for you guys, I'll know."

(Violet)

Later that evening

Everyone was outside at the bonfire, having an outdoor meal. I cooked the last of the Ragout Rabbit that we had. This will be the last good meal I'll be having in a while. But there was one problem. Mortifer hasn't returned.

"Yuzu... I mean Violet-chan." A voice greeted behind me. It was my cousin, ViVi.

"Call me Violet for now. But when we return to the real world, go back to calling me by my real name if you like." He nodded and then scratched his head.

"So you and that Mortifer fellow seem to be close." He stuttered.

"We're married." I told him. His mouth dropped open.

"M-Married!" He stammered. "This is an in-game marriage right?"

"Yes, but I think someday, if we ever do get out of this game, it will be for real." I hoped.

"But your parents may not agree to this. He doesn't even look like the type your parents would want." ViVi argued.

"I'd rather hear that directly from them and not you. Don't tell me what's right and what's wrong. This is my life and I will live it the way I want to."

"But your boyfriend-"

"Husband."

"Whatever. He's a murderer. Does that not bother you?" He asked me.

I was about to answer but hesitated. In truth, it does bother me. Not just a little bit but by a lot. But we've been through so much already and he's part of me now. A part I can't live without. But knowing that Mortifer has killed a few innocent lives sort of ruins the relationship.

I was about to give him my opinion but I heard a loud boom come from the forest. I put my attention to the forest to find nothing. But then I saw a blurred figure running around the forest. Mortifer! He ran across the bridge but he seemed to be dizzy since he wasn't running straight. Then he crashed into a tree causing a bunch of branches to fall on top of him.

"Oh dear." I said as I ran over to help him.

As I removed the branches I noticed that his health is in the yellow zone, barely above the red. I quickly took out a potion and gave it to him. He gulped it all in one sitting. His face was filled with fear but it went away once his health went back to the green zone. Then he pulled out something I hadn't noticed, a dagger stuck in his leg. It had the Laughing Coffin mark on it. Everyone gathered up around Mortifer who is now standing.

"They know you're in this floor. But they don't know you're under my protection. I was lucky to be hidden in the darkness when they hit me with this thing." Mortifer stated.

"And when they find out that we're here, what do we do?" ViVi asked.

"And what if there are too many LC members for us to handle?" Zed grunted.

"Don't worry, Mortifer can take 5 at once." Rizer bragged.

"And they would never send no more than 16 people on a manhunt." Mortifer stated.

"But that still leaves 11 people. Trish and Aqua are both not much of a fighter." Zed stated, making Aqua punch him on the arm.

"Quit belittling me..." Aqua complained. "I can fight! I just didn't know this game didn't have a bow and arrow, so I got stuck with a dagger."

"Then you guys leave me no choice…" Mortifer spoke up. "I'll train you guys to become fighters capable of going up against at least one standard Laughing Coffin member. From the rise of dawn to the fall of twilight, we will be doing non-stop physical training."

Anxiety built within me. Mortifer has done intense training before. According to Mortifer, he power-leveled continuously with his mentor Cloud which explains why he is at such a high level right now. He also told me that he was a former kendo practicioner and that he reached the semi-finals. He apparently trained until he collapsed. If we're training so that we can protect ourselves from trained-killers, then I don't know how intense this will become.

"You can train with me, and protect yourself and your friends, or stay in the shadows, hoping that we don't die. Or you have choice number three: give them the item you have." Zed backed away immediately at the sound of choice number three.

"No way. Not an option." Zed declared.

"What is the item anyway?" Paradox asked.

"It's a ring that increases one's AGI attribute by twenty." Zed stated, "We defeated a boss inside a hidden room and obtained this item."

"Let's just make a decision already." Mortifer demanded. "Train and become fighters, hide like cowards, or the easy way out." Everyone in our group all decided at once.

"Train." Our group said in unison, trusting Mortifer's statement about no matter how much they pay back, LC will still go after them.

"Item." ViVi, Trish, Aqua and Konno voted.

Now it was just Zed. He seemed stressed, not wanting to train with Mortifer or give up his item. Nobody certainly wanted the other to die so nobody voted to hide.

"Once they're dealt with, I am leaving, you got that?" Zed declared as he slammed a ring on the table. It was the rare speed ring they obtained. A sky blue gem sparkled at the center of it, "Let's just see how intense your training is."

/

/

/

Yes, I adore Laughing Coffin because I am a very "edgy" person. Plus, I didn't think they got that much attention in the real story, although if you've seen Sword Art Online II and/or have read the latest Light Novels, then they get a bit more attention.


	21. Chapter 20: A Sticky Situation

**(Mortifer)**

 **The next morning**

"Wake up!" I shouted loudly as I entered the sleeping quarters, "The sun is about to rise and Laughing Coffin is forming a plan to kill you! So you better get off your lazy butts and outside in ten minutes!"

"It's five in the morning!" Zed yelled. "We don't have to train this early!"

"Sorry Zed-kun but you're going to have to get used to this..." Paradox yawned, "Mortifer did say that we're training from morning to evening."

"Don't call me Zed-kun. In fact, don't give me an honorific at all…" Zed grumbled.

"Be late and we will consume your share of the leftover Ragout Rabbit!"

 **Ten minutes later**

"Laughing Coffin likes to ambush people rather than straightforward fighting." I began talking. "I have beaten many Laughing Coffin members; none are better than me. In order to beat someone, you have to learn how to fight like them!"

"I thought this is supposed to be training... Not school." Zed whispered to Paradox at the very back of the bonfire camp. I quickly materialized a dagger and threw it right next to his face.

"No talking, as the Laughing Coffin members have greatly improved their Straining skills. One sound is all they need to pinpoint your location." I stated. Zed stopped talking and looked at me with an angry expression. He sighed went back to watching and listening to me.

"I'd rather not see anyone go through what I've been through in order to become this strong. Nonetheless we only have a few days while I had months. So we start now!" I drew out a wood stick and faced them. "All of you, attack me now." Everyone looked around in confusion.

"Uh, are you dumb? There are nine of us!" Zed exclaimed in frustration.

"I said, attack me now…" I told Zed with a deadly serious tone. I don't like it when people talk back, "If I hit you, you're out. Hit me once, you win. If all of you are out, we restart. We won't stop till noon. As for your Color Cursor, it shouldn't turn yellow since you are attacking someone who is already yellow. Ok! Let's begin."

I rushed at them with semi-fast speed and whacked all of them with my stick. Only Violet, Rizer and Cayonz were fast enough to block since they had anticipated my speed. The rest had red marks at the places where I hit them. I then continued to attack Violet, Rizer and Cayonz until they were out too.

"Total time is fourteen seconds! But it took only half as much to take most of you down."

"I'm really getting tired of his crap…" Zed whispered to Konno. I materialized a knife and threw it at Konno's shield, right next to Zed's face.

"Laughing Coffin one, Zed-kun zero." I smirked.

"I said don't give me an honorific!" he yelled. Everyone laughed a little bit, despite the tense vibe.

"Hit me and we will see." I taunted him. "Ok let's begin again!"

This time all of them were prepared. Trish, Aqua, and Paradox were fast, followed by ViVi and Konno. Surprisingly, Zed was last to get hit, but this time, I showed him no mercy. I used my full speed and circled around him, making a mini cyclone of dust. He swung his sword multiple times, once almost hitting me in the face.

I then wanted to test his temper and began hitting him multiple times from multiple places. I could see his face burn red with fury. To top it all of, I stopped in front of him and thumped him on the forehead and went back to running. Now he was definitely on the edge.

"Will you cut it out?! Let's just reset!" Zed yelled. Hmm… He's handling it pretty average. For the most part he didn't lash out and attack me.

"Okay. Reset!"

 **Later that day, at noon**

They still haven't hit me. But their survival time has increased significantly. From fourteen seconds to seven minutes. But not being able to hit me… I don't think they stand a chance against XaXa, Johny, or PoH. If Black adds a poison to their blades, then that's even worse. Although PoH has killed the most, Black is the more insane one when it comes to planning on how to kill people.

"Mortifer?" I heard a voice call behind me. I turned to face Paradox. She had a wide smile on her face. Although she always got out first, it didn't hurt her pride, which is a reason why I like her so much.

"Yes?" I asked her.

"We were all wondering what the next drill is. Can you tell us?" she asked politely. I smiled since I was happy she asked.

"Our next drill doesn't have to do with combat, but it's to help our awareness." I told her. "We're going to play hide and seek."

 **Ten minutes later**

"Now I'm sure that at least some of you have good awareness, but for those who don't, we shall practice." I stated. "This drill will have three parts. Hide and Seek, Sneaking, and a perception drill. Let's start with perception!" I held a small rock in my hand and three mugs.

"How is this supposed to help us against Laughing Coffin?" Konno asked.

"LC loves to ambush people rather than going head on, as I explained earlier. You must be aware of all movement happening in front of you. Who wants to go first?" I questioned everyone.

I looked throughout everyone to see if anybody wanted to start off first. Everyone looked at each other, wanting to see who will go first. I was about to pick someone random from the crowd until Aqua raised her hand voluntarily.

"Ok then, Aqua."

"I think got this…" she smiled evily as she cracked her knuckles.

Just looking at her eyes gave me a hint that she's already perceptive of things. I placed a rock inside a mug for her to see and placed all the mugs flat on a table. I then started the test. I began shifting the mugs around randomly, doing it as fast as possible, but not too fast where even I can't see.

In the middle of the shifting, I quickly launched the rock from the original mug to a mug moving behind it, hoping to trick Aqua. I then shifted it a few more times and stopped.

"Which mug?" I asked her.

Everyone who was watching pointed to the original mug but Aqua was still deciding. I could see a look of concentration in her eyes. She then pointed to the mug where the rock was in. My eyes widened in amazement. That trick didn't fool her whatsoever. I lifted both mugs to reveal the truth. Everyone gasped since they all got it wrong except for Aqua.

"But how? I was sure it was in that mug!" Violet exclaimed.

"You didn't see it? Mortifer launched the rock backwards, catching it with a cup moving behind the original." Aqua smiled.

"You're quite perceptive. Now I understand why you would want to use a bow." I chuckled. I set down the cups and reset their positions. "Ok, this time I'm going to move even faster and add more than one trick."

"Bring it on!" Aqua taunted. I smiled and cracked my knuckles.

This time I didn't hold back. I moved mugs so fast to the point where even I can barely see it. I could see strain in Aqua's eyes. I switched the rock multiple times but I had one more trick up in my sleeve, and I mean it quite literally. As a diversion, I raised the mug with the rock and let the rock out for everyone to see. I continued to shift the mugs despite none of them having a rock.

During that time, I used sleight of hand and snuck another rock that I tucked under my sleeve, and hid it in one of the cups. I then took the original rock and placed it in another cup. I shifted the mugs a dozen more times and then stopped. Everyone even Aqua seemed to be stressing out. Aqua is biting on her finger nails with a nervous look on her face. She doesn't want to get it wrong.

"I think I got sick just by looking at that." Konno mumbled. Indeed, so much stuff happened that your mind might not be able to process what just occured.

"Now tell me," I started "Which ones?"

Everyone, including Aqua pointed at the cup with the original rock. They all looked at me and I lifted the cup. They all celebrated at the sight of the rock under the cup I lifted. But then Aqua did the unbelievable.

"That one." She said, pointing to the mug with the other rock. My eyes widened in shock.

"How… How did you manage to see that?!" I exclaimed.

"See what?" Zed asked.

"I'm guessing you all tunnel visioned on where the rock was at." Aqua spoke. "When Mortifer let the rock out for everyone to see, I knew something was up." She then reached for the mug with the second pebble and lifted it. Everyone gasped at the sight of the stone.

"Mortifer said 'Which ones?' meaning there is more than one cup with a rock in it. I couldn't have guessed it without that hint. Though I have no clue if that hint was intentional or not."

She placed the mug down and bowed in front of me. She was grinning like a child. I couldn't help but smile. I then started applauding her and soon everyone joined in.

"Oh please, it was nothing…" Aqua blushed. After a moment of celebration, I calmed everyone down.

"Since all of you managed to see the original rock after that, we will end this section for today. We will now move to the next part." I clasped my hands together excited for this next part. "Let's play hide and seek!"

 **(Violet)**

 **A few minutes later**

I tried minimizing my breathing to a minimum. I already know Mortifer is unbelievably perceptive and aware of his surroundings. As his wife, I should at least try to make him proud by not being the first to be caught. I was always first to be caught when I was a kid…

This section is every man and woman for themselves. Once you get spotted and tagged by Mortifer, you're out until the next round. Being in broad daylight, it is much easier to find us with our black cloaks on so Mortifer decided that we can take them off. Right now, I think I have the best spot but that doesn't mean I won't ever be found, or jinx myself.

We can hide anywhere including the water around us as long as we are within ten meters from the island. The bridge is forbidden since it counts as part of the island and since Mortifer is too lazy to walk or run all the way over to the other side.

I'm currently lying down at the flower bed of our island. My cousin ViVi has climbed up a nearby tree and hid at the very top. Everyone else went inside the house or the forge, since there weren't any better spots outside. With the basement of the house being so big, there are a ton of spots there. Mortifer gave us two minutes to hide and find a spot and is now currently searching. He's gone inside the house now, so ViVi and I can rest easy for a while.

 **Ten minutes later**

Everyone except for ViVi, Zed, and I have been caught. I have no clue where Zed is and I haven't moved an inch. I can barely see ViVi with a panicked expression through the flower bed. He seems to have gotten himself in a bad situation since he was about to fall of the tree. If he tries to recover, Mortifer will most definitely hear him.

Unfortunately for me, he isn't the only one who was in trouble. Mortifer is currently searching through the flower garden right now. He walked around and stopped. He then walked up to the flower bed opposite to me and hit something.

"Ow!" I heard Zed's voice yelp.

"Seven down, two more to go." I heard Mortifer mumble.

I saw Zed emerge from the flower bed, rubbing his head at the place Mortifer hit him. He sent Zed to go inside the house with everyone else and wait in the living room. He then proceeded to check the rest of the flower beds.

My heart was literally pounding. I know it's just a game, but why am I so scared? Holding my breath was my first mistake since now I had to exhale and breathe. Mortifer looked towards my direction. The skull mask he was wearing seemed more menacing than before. Is he wearing a different mask or am I just seeing things? Mortifer is so close to seeing me until I heard a tree branch snap. I stopped myself from gasping as I heard ViVi fall from the tree.

"Ouch!" ViVi exclaimed.

I heard the door of the house open and saw Paradox and Cayonz run outside. Before they could help him get inside, Mortifer touched him at the head and gave him a reassuring smile.

"One more!" I heard Mortifer shout, trying to alert everyone else.

He walked back to the flower garden and continued his inspection. Though instead of searching the flower beds, he approacged the gazebo and stood there. First he closed his eyes and focused for about one minute. During that time, I kept my breathing to a minimum and made no movement whatsoever.

When he opened his eyes again, he seemed unsatisfied at the fact that he doesn't sense me. He then closed his eyes again and stood there for another minute. But this time, I wasn't as relaxed as before. I could feel something build up inside me. It's just a friendly game of hide and seek!

I kept repeating that to myself but the feeling wouldn't go away. It's like Mortifer was radiating something in order to sense me. I kept thinking what this feeling was until I saw Mortifer's eyes.

Even behind that mask and under the shade of the gazebo, I could see something evil in his eyes. I could see his bloodlust. I made a huge mistake by covering my mouth from screaming and that's when Mortifer turned his body to my direction. His eyes seemed to return to normal and the fear inside me went away too. He walked over to where I was and tapped me with his sheathe.

"Sorry I had to do that to you Violet." He said smiling, though being apologetic at the same time. "You know me too well now so you know how to hide from me."

"I have to impress my husband now don't I?" I said in response to him. He helped me up and gave me a passionate hug, "Whatever you did, please don't do it again. It's scary."

"Ok…" he agreed. "I promise not to do that again to you, only you." I started giggling at what he said.

"You're cruel Mortifer." I laughed while I hugged him.

Half an hour later

Mortifer has gone scouting so he told us to keep playing hide and seek till the sun is almost down. Since we aren't as good at finding people as Mortifer, we decided to have two seekers, and seven hiders. This round, since they were first to be found, Cayonz and Konno are the seekers. Mortifer had stated we can't use the same spot twice in a row so I can't hide in the flower bed anymore.

This time I'm hiding in Mortifer's room. Ever since he came back, there has been an unspoken rule in which nobody can enter Mortifer's room, especially during night time. This is mainly because Mortifer's nightmares causes him to thrash around violently and since he keeps some private stuff in there. We told Zed's group about this rule yesterday.

But since Mortifer said to use any means necessary to hide, I'm taking advantage of the one time I can enter his room. Since Cayonz and Konno won't ever think of entering this room because it's technically forbidden, I didn't bother hiding under his bed or anything special. I just partially closed the curtains of the window, and sat down on the bed.

 **One hour later**

From all the noise coming from downstairs, I'm assuming almost all of them have been found. At the same time, they seem to have given up in trying to find me and Zed since they keep calling our names. I wanted to reveal myself but something caught my eye. At the corner of my eye, I saw Mortifer's closet.

For some reason it had a lock and a key was left there. My heart started pounding as I stared at it with curiosity. No, Mortifer will be hurt if I look through his stuff, even if we are husband-and-wife. But the more I stared at it, the more it seemed to call for me. I mean, a quick peek won't hurt, won't it?

I stood up and approached the closet door. I turned the key and opened the closet. The closet was completely empty of any items except for a single storage chest. I got down on my knees and slowly opened the chest.

A list of items appeared before in a screen of light. Useless mob drops, weapons, and the group's saving's for anything we need. As I kept scrolling through the seemingly long list, two items caught my eye. They had no indicator on what type of item it was which is abnormal, but they had names and a special animated icon.

"Sword of Light and Sword of Darkness." I whispered aloud.

My curiosity got the better of me and I took both items. I looked at the swords' summaries and stats. They were both empty other than their names. I then equipped them and I felt energy surge throughout my body. The whole house seemed to shake and I was blinded by light.

When the light faded, I held two swords that seemed like twins though the huge difference was is that one glowed a brilliant light, while the other had an aura of darkness.

"Violet? Are you in there?" I heard Rizer's voice call from the door. "What are you doing in Mortifer's room?"

I started panicking and quickly put the two swords back into the storage chest and closed the closet, locking it. I headed over to the door to see everyone staring at me in bewilderment.

"Oh hey you guys…" I nervously spoke. My heart was pounding.

"Why were you in there? You know we aren't allowed in his room, even if you guys are married and all…" Paradox stated.

"Well Mortifer said that we can use any means necessary to hide. So I hid in his room." I pointed out.

"Damn. Should have thought of the same thing." Rizer grunted. Paradox hit him hard in the arm, making Rizer recoil in terror. "Hey! What was that for?" Paradox only sighed.

"I did that because you need to stop caring about the stupid things and focus on what just happened."

"Oh right." Rizer said as he cleared his throat. "What was that just now? We all saw a brilliant light coming from upstairs and the house was shaking. Did you find something in there?"

He tried peeking over my shoulder but I quickly slammed the door shut. This scared the whole group a little bit, making them recoil from the force of the door shutting.

"Nothing! I didn't find anything there! I was, uh…" I began to stutter. "I materialized all of my items, that's why there was a huge light."

Most of them didn't seem too convinced. But Zed saved me from getting a heart attack.

"Ok let's just go back down stairs. I wanna' rest for now." Zed yawned. "I'm too tired to play hide & seek. Plus, it's going to be sundown soon so not training for an hour won't hurt that much now won't it?" He stretched his arms and went downstairs.

Everyone else followed him except for Rizer. I was about to start walking downstairs when he stopped me by grabbing my arm.

"The swords…" He whispered into my ear. My eyes widened in shock.

"How did you…" I began but got cut off when Rizer put his finger to my lips.

"Mortifer and I discussed about it when I created Dark Repulser for him." He explained. "I have no clue what's with those swords having no information about themselves. But they hold a special meaning to Mortifer. He didn't tell you because he wanted to keep it a secret. I suggest you do the same." Rizer pat my shoulder and headed downstairs to join everyone else.

"Hey where's the Rabbit?!"

 **(Mortifer)**

 **Later that day, 24** **th** **floor**

She knows… Violet knows about my swords… Because we are married in-game, I can see her inventory. Unfortunately for the both of us, I saw that she had found my two swords. She must've hid in my room and got curious about what was in my closet.

No matter, I can't dwell on that now. The situation is getting worst. Laughing Coffin has been capturing and torturing people, trying to find out where they were hiding at. They must be desparate to find Zed and his friends. By now they should know I am protecting them.

This will shorten the time we have to train from one week to less than two days. Is it possible for me to train them enough without making them give up from the effort? I grabbed my tattooed arm and clutched it. I have to try…

 **A minute later**

I walked casually back to the island, almost to the end of the bridge. Cayonz has spotted me and already rung the alarm for everyone to assemble. They assembled outside in front of the house as I approached them.

"You stopped training before sundown, didn't you?" I asked them. They all nodded. Well… At least they're honest. "Don't do that again, because I have bad news."

"How bad?" Trish asked me.

"Bad as in, they know where you are and the time I predict we will have till they attack is shortened from one week, to two days." I answered her.

Everyone gasped at the new information we obtained. I've always hated being the bearer of bad news. It's never fun.

"I'm the one who told them to stop." Zed announced. "If you're going to punish me then so be it. Just don't hurt the rest."

"Zed-kun!" Paradox protested.

"Paradox stop! And don't call me Zed-kun." Zed argued back.

I walked up to him, staring straight into his eyes. I could see a little worry in them, but there was no way I'm going to punish him when we need everyone at full strength. He did disobey me, so I need to do at least something…

"Your punishment is being the first to be tested in our last drill for our awareness training." I told him.

"T-That's it?" Zed stammered. I nodded and he seemed to relax a bit. "Well what is the drill anyway?" I pointed towards one of the sitting stones by the campfire.

"Sit there, and wait with your eyes closed." I commanded him.

He sat down quietly and did what he was told, though he wasn't really happy being bossed around like this. Because I was impatient to start training, I quickly dematerialized a bunch of my useless items, and scattered fallen leaves and sticks around Zed.

"I'm going to walk towards you. Your goal is to use only your hearing to pinpoint my location. Point to my direction and get it right, then you win. If I get within half a meter from you without you noticing or pointing in my direction, you've failed."

"Let me guess. We did the perception drill in day because we can see, and we are doing this during the night because we can't see. Am I right or wrong?" Zed questioned.

"Yes you are correct." I responded to his question. "Now, let's begin."

I took a deep breath and started walking. There were many spots without any obstacles but I ignored them. I stepped on leaves, sticks, weapons, etc. But I made no sound whatsoever. When I reached Zed, he was completely clueless.

I stood there for half a minute and stared at him, right in front of his face. His face tensed and pointed directly in front of him. He opened his eyes, only to be greeted by me staring at him through my mask. He recoiled in terror.

"I didn't even hear you!" Zed exclaimed. "I started sensing something weird, like someone was watching me." So he can sense when someone is watching… Useful but not enough. I opened my menu to check the time. Seven in the evening.

"Keep doing this drill with each other for the next three hours. One person sits and listens, two can sneak. After that, go and rest. If you need me, I'll be at the roof." I commanded them.

"The roof? There's a path to the roof?" ViVi asked.

I ignored him and used my strength and Acrobatics skill to jump straight to the roof. I stood on top of the highest point of the house and stared at the rising moon. I could sense of all them staring at me for a minute or so. Then they proceeded to do what I commanded them to.

Three hours later, Day 1 training ends

Should I do it? Or should I not… This thought just keeps repeating in my head. If I release it, then it's a guaranteed win. But if I do, the chances of me hurting Violet and the rest will increase tremendously. I need to find them a safezone to hide in.

The cities won't do since Laughing Coffin will wait for eternity for someone in the city. Plus, they can forcefully drag us out if they manage to catch us, but even I don't know much about the cities of Aincrad. Violet and Paradox are usually the ones who go out to the cities. I have no need for them since Rizer makes and repairs my weapons for me.

No… The best place for them to hide is here in the island. The basement only has one entrance, giving Laughing Coffin a disadvantage of not being able to flank them. Yes… but I will only use it for a last resort. For now, we will train.

"Mortifer!" I heard a voice croak.

I looked over to the sound of the voice and saw Violet trying to climb the roof of the house. She was having trouble and reaching out her hand for me. I walked over to the hanging Violet and helped her up.

"Thank you…" she panted.

"What is it?" I asked her.

"Well there's something I wanted to talk about." she whispered, "It's about uh… It's about-"

"You want to talk about the twin swords… Right?" I questioned her. Hey eyes grew wide as I spoke those names.

"How did you know?" she exclaimed.

"I was looking at my inventory when I saw them there. I was sure I stored them into my chest, so I assumed you had taken them out of curiosity and equipped them."

"A-Are you mad?" she stuttered. I quickly pulled her into a hug at the end of those words.

"No Violet… I could never get angry at you for something that small." I told her.

"Then what's with the gloomy mood?" she asked me. Oh… So that's why she was here…

"We got ourselves in a sticky situation that I'm afraid we can't avoid. And although we are preparing for a fight, I'm having a dilemma whether or not you should just stop training or if you continue to train, then fight for your lives."

"Why would we stop?" she questioned me, "Won't that make it worse? You said it yourself that Laughing Coffin will take what it came for, and everything else."

"Those guys won't stop until the mission is done. Even if it means risking their lives. Show them mercy, and you're dead. Show them weakness, and you're dead. You need to kill them if you want to stop them, and I can't afford giving you guys that burden, knowing that you've killed someone."

"Mortifer…" she began but I silenced her by putting my finger to her mouth. Never mind about last resort… Just do it Mortifer…

"Tell everyone to train if they want to. If Zed or the others complain or rebel, just tell them to trust me. You have two days to relax. On the third day, you're going to hide in the basement." I commanded her. I then grabbed her shoulders and gripped it hard.

"Don't open the basement door no matter what… If you hear my voice and I tell you to open the door, don't. If I sound desperate to go inside, don't open the door. If you still hear fighting ouside, don't open the door. Wait till dawn of the next morning before you open the door. Do you understand?"

"I understand but Mortifer, what you are planning to do seems reckless and insane. What is your plan anyway?"

"Don't worry about it Violet, I'll be fine. I plan to keep my promises." I whispered into her ear.

 **The next morning, at Panareze**

Despite what I told Violet, she told everyone to continue training instead of choosing their path. Though if she did, Zed and his friends will probably cause more trouble than I need. Maybe that's why she didn't tell them… It's true that I've been carrying too many burdens lately. Making anymore wouldn't help at all.

Currently, I'm just surveying the 24th floor now. I've caught glimpses of Laughing Coffin members here and there, but I have no intention to attack them nor can I even do so when they are in safezones. I believe none has spotted me, but I can't guarantee. The closest they have gotten to the island is still half an hour's walk away. They don't dare come any closer, especially when I'm around.

Now, I'm surveying the town from the rooftops. I've counted five Laughing Coffin members today. Their numbers have truly grown since I left them, which is bad. Now that I think of it, what if their numbers have grown enough to pass the sixteen-member raid limit?

Although it is still unlikely, if they have enough members, then they will surely attack with a group of twenty or so. They want their payment from Zed and they want payback for me turning on them. I kept venturing the rooftops of the town until I saw something strange.

I spotted a large group of cloaked players walking towards Panareze's gates. All of them were Laughing Coffin for sure… And with the _Weekly Argo_ not being regularly sent to this floor, I don't think the people of this floor are aware of Laughing Coffin, even if it has been months since they formed and became notorious.

The players ignored them completely, as if the LC members were ghosts. What caught my eye the most is the appearance of one of the members. He wore a black sack over his head with eye sockets for him to see through. Johnny Black… I guess he will be part of the raid. I tailed them from the rooftops, trying to figure out where they were going.

They exited the city and the safezone and kept walking towards the direction of the Island. With no more buildings to hide on top of, I'm going to have to use the water for stealth. I have to be even farther away too since Johnny is with them. He always had keen senses.

Half an hour later

I thought they were heading to the island, but they once again stopped at the half-hour walk mark. We were currently in an island with a big tree in the center. The place looked like it was a stage for a battle or some sort. What the hell are they doing here?

My head was barely above the water as I continued to spy on them. They are definitely setting up a camp… Johnny and his followers set up tents, a campfire, and even a table for eating or planning. But what scared me the most was when Johnny pulled out a Corridor Crystal.

"Corridor, Mark!" Johnny shouted. The crystal glowed brightly for a second before dimming out. They're using a Corridor Crystal just for this mission? They must be desperate if they're willing to use such a rare item.

Johnny put the crystal away and continued to help his party assemble the camp. The best thing I can do now is to just keep spying on them. I'll stop once in a while to check on Violet and everyone else, and I'll leave once the sun is about to set.

 **Later that day, sunset, at the Island**

I'm back on the rooftop, watching the sunset. Everyone is currently doing their awareness drills. Some of them look beat up from the combat training they endured. Since I was absent, they instead trained without weapons. I had told them to keep punching a dummy for as long as possible and think up of ways they might attack, and ways you can counter them.

Then they practiced it on everyone else. They are all training hard, and they got the spirit to keep going, but it still won't be enough. Tomorrow is the last day, and then I predict that the day after will be the time they are going to attack. Worst case scenario right now is that they attack when I am far from the island, or one of us gets captured and is taken hostage. There is no way I can help if either of those happens.

"Yo' Mortifer!" I heard Rizer's voice yell. "Come on! Let's practice against you again!" I stared at him, flustered.

Everyone else was smiling with confidence. I smiled back and sighed. I jumped down the house and stood at the center of everyone. I materialized a stick from my inventory and told them,

"Don't hold back. And if you hit me, keep going. I want to see how low you guys can bring me."

"You sure?" ViVi asked. I gave a simple nod in reply.

"Let me give you a scenario. Think of me as one of them. If you don't kill me, I will hurt those who are close to you." I started taking off my cloak and tunic but left my mask on.

I revealed both of the tattoos embedded into my skin to them. The Laughing Coffin mark, and the Reaper. The mood changed completely when I did so. Everyone became uneasy, especially Violet and Zed.

"Attack me or I will kill your friend." I commanded them. "Begin!"

They all rushed to me together but I managed to use Konno's shield as a booster to vault over him. While airborne, I wacked him on the head with my stick. "If you get hit don't stop! We will continue this till I am at 50% health!"

I continued avoiding attacks while going on the offense at the same time. I hit all of them at least three times before Zed managed to graze me with a thrown dagger. Everyone froze for a moment of celebration but I showed them no mercy and swept at their feet. One by one they all fell down, and recovered as quickly as possible.

"Is that the best you all got?"

 **Later that evening, night time**

It felt like we were stuck in an endless cycle. I beat them up, then they hit me. This has been going on for hours now, but I'm still a little bit above 50% health. All of us were tired, but they didn't give up, especially Zed. He seemed to be driven by the fact that he hates me, and that he's seriously taking the scenario I had given them.

 _Attack me or I will kill your friend_.

During all that fighting though, I've been fighting two things at once. The Voices in my head, and everyone else. But this can prove as training for myself too. If I can learn how to control the Voices, then that will be an accomplishment in my book.

I dwindled on that thought for so long that I let my guard down. ViVi managed to hit me with a Sword Skill. The staff he wielded hit me square on the chest then on my knees.

My knees buckled from the strain and I fell down. Everyone started celebrating when my health dropped to half, except it didn't stop there. Time seemed to slow down as it continuously the yellow bar in the corner of my eye slowly got smaller and smaller. When it began to turn orange I panicked and materialized a Heal Crystal right away.

"Heal!" I shouted quickly.

My health stopped dropping and recovered all the way to maximum. I sighed in relief and began standing up. My heart was pounding. It felt like it was going to burst. Everyone only stared.

"Uh… Sorry about that. I forgot you're not wearing any armor." ViVi apologized.

"But what was that reaction?" Trish asked. "You panicked completely when your health dropped to orange."

"You don't need to know." A voice spoke from afar. I turned my head and saw Argo approach us. She didn't seem to be in her usual good mood. "Who are these guys Mortifer?"

"The Rat? What's she doing here?" Zed smirked.

"I'm friends with Mortifer. He saved me from Laughing Coffin and did some other stuff for me." She explained.

"Laughing Coffin? What a coincidence." Konno laughed.

"Coincidence?" Argo questioned.

"They are also running from Laughing Coffin." Rizer spoke, "They owe them some money but Mortifer stated that they will take more than just money but your life too."

"Oh… So that's why they're here..." Argo muttered.

"What is it Argo? Why did you come here?" I asked her.

She looked around, as if looking for any eavesdroppers. She also looked at me to confirm for any, and I gave her a nod.

"Rumours are spreading around like wildfire. Well, now that I visited you guys, I can see they aren't rumours." Argo informed us. "As you may already know Laughing Coffin has been capturing many innocent people, trying to weed out information from them. The clearing group is trying to take action, but to no avail. Not only that, Spies say that LC's members have grown close to a hundred."

"What?!" I exclaimed. "Impossible! We only had about thirty members when I was there. How did they get so many people to join?"

"I don't know, but on my way here, I saw a camp filled with Laughing Coffin members. I counted twenty or so." Argo stated. My mind shut down completely from her words. Twenty people are going to attack us?

"Well why didn't you go to the clearing group when you saw them here? We can get their help!" Zed yelled at her.

"I made a promise!" Argo violently yelled back at him, making Zed recoil. "If I tell the clearing group that Laughing Coffin is here, they will give away information…"

"Information about what exactly?" Aqua questioned.

"Information about him." Argo replied while pointing towards me. "They know Mortifer's name and location. And if they get captured by the clearing group, there is no way Mortifer will be able to touch them and prevent them from giving out information. And if you guys forgot or don't know, he is the Reaper."

Argo held up a flyer. It looked fairly new. The headline for the title says 'Fear the Reaper'.

"That bounty set by the Knights of the Blood Oath? It's still going on. Commander Heathcliff and Vice-Commander Asuna of the KoB really wants to take him down. Even in your inactivity, you still have the highest PKs than everyone else, including PoH, Johnny Black and XaXa." My head exploded at XaXa's name.

"Don't! Don't speak his name!" I pleaded her.

My mind felt like it was getting torn apart. Everytime I hear his name now, I am reminded of all my assassinations and capture missions. How could I have killed so many people in those two months without noticing that what I was doing is wrong? Soon I noticed that Violet was comforting me, which made me feel a little bit better.

"You still intend to keep your promise, right?" I asked Argo.

"I do intend to keep it, even if my heart says it is the wrong thing to do…" Argo responded.

"Thank you…" I told her. "For keeping my promise and for the information. You should leave now. Don't walk back to Panareze, or Laughing Coffin may attack you if they see you."

I tossed her a Teleport Crystal and she caught it. She did not hesitate to use it since she knows of my abundance in Teleport Crystals.

"Teleport, Grandzam!" Argo shouted.

I flinched from the sound of that name, mainly because the Knights of Blood are stationed there. But I knew Argo wouldn't betray me, so she must be there for some other reason she is going there. She disappeared into nothing as the system teleported her to Grandzam.

"Even the Rat is part of your group?" Zed grunted.

"Argo is only an acquaintance. She's only there for information exchange. All for free since we saved her life." Violet stated.

"Trying to compensate for all the lives you took?" Zed threatened. The mood took a dangerous turn. The voices were already provoked by Argo when she said XaXa, but now, I feel like I'm going to pass out.

"Zed, please don't…" Paradox persuaded. "Mortifer has been through too much already…"

Although I could still see them talking and argueing, all sound became mute to me. All I could hear was the screaming. The same words, over and over, tearing at my heart and soul. I was about ready to just give up and pass out until I heard a different sound.

But more like a voice. It was soothing, and beautiful. I felt warmth spread throughout my body and the voices receding. When the euphonic sounds ended, I came back to my senses. Nobody is argueing anymore. I stood up, feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. I didn't need anyone to tell me who was singing, since I already knew.

"Siren." I spoke out loud as I pointed to Trish, who was hiding behind Cayonz.

"Excuse me?" Cayonz questioned.

"The girl behind you. Trish." I addressed to Cayonz. He turned around and revealed the shy Trish. "Siren will be your name if you ever stay with us after this mess."

"M-Me? But, why? Why Siren?" Trish stuttered.

"My mistake. I made an assumption that you already know about mythology and the Odyssey." I apologized to her. "A Siren is a creature who lure men to their deaths by song."

"Death? But I haven't killed anybody!" Trish panicked.

"But you lured Violet and I into your ambush using your singing, right?" I questioned her.

"Y-Yes…" She responded. I walked up to her and patted her on the head.

"Everyone go and get some rest. We will continue training tomorrow." I commanded.

"Yes sir!"

 **The next day**

Something's not right… Something feels weird… I'm not sure everyone else notices it because they are training hard, but something is definitely not right. I sat on top of the house, observing the whole island and the area around.

I closed my eyes. No wind. No clouds. No birds chirping and flying in the sky. Not even insects making sounds. All I could hear other than the clashing of swords were the waves of the ocean around us. Why is it so quiet? Even if this floor is one of the more isolated floors, it is far too quiet.

The silence was broken when I sensed something from very far away. I could sense somene's bloodlust, coming from all the way in the forest. I stood up and looked toward the forest, which was the only island connected to us. I tunnel-visioned on that island and saw something I didn't want to see.

I could see a large group of hooded players walk through the woods, heading towards the bridge to our island. My eyes widened in terror as my worst nightmares came true. Laughing Coffin has arrived.

 **(Violet)**

"Stop fighting! They are coming!" I heard Mortifer shout from the roof of the house. He was pointing towards the forest; in which I could barely see figures moving. "Violet, you know what to do!"

"But even after Argo's information, you still persist?" I retaliated. "We can stand and fight! I'm not leaving you again!"

"Violet what are you saying?" Rizer asked me.

"He plans to take all of them solo!" I harshly replied back.

"Are you insane?" Zed exploded. He quickly looked over to the approaching LC members, they are now crossing the bridge. "That's complete suicide! And what of all the training that we did? Is all of this futile?"

"Violet just do what I told you to do!" Mortifer snapped.

He jumped down to the balcony and quickly ran inside the house. He reappeared moments later and jumped down from the balcony. As he headed for the bridge, he opened his inventory and materialized a sword. The Sword of Darkness. The aura it gave out was enough to make the sword seem like it is glowing. He stood his ground in the front of the bridge, acting as a wall between us and Laughing Coffin.

"Go to the basement and lock the door! Barricade the door also! No matter what, don't open the door even if you hear my voice calling for you! Wait till tomorrow to open the door!" I felt tears streaming down my eyes and started sobbing.

"Guys come on!" I heard Paradox shout out. Everyone followed her but Rizer had to drag me with him.

"Don't die!" I screamed to Mortifer.

I pushed Rizer away from me and ran inside the house. Before going inside the basement, we all quietly watched from the living room windows. We kept our heads down so Laughing Coffin can't spot us. Since we improved our Straining skill, we could hear most of what's going on outside even through the windows.

"Mortifer… The Reaper…" One of the LC members spoke. Someone raised up their hood, only to reveal something else covering his face. It looked like he was wearing a black sack.

"Leave at once Johnny, and maybe I will let you all live." Mortifer threatened him. The Laughing Coffin members all laughed maniacally.

"Even you can't handle this many people Mortifer. There is no way you can take all of us." Another voice spoke. Barely audible, I could hear Mortifer mutter out

"PoH…"

Another person raised his hood. This time, the person's face wasn't covered. He had a scar going across his face. He revealed a giant butcher knife from his black cloak. Everyone else also unsheathed their swords.

"Give us those who we want, and we will let you live, without giving out any information." PoH reasoned.

"As if. Go back to your hell hole you damn fools!" Mortifer cursed. At that moment, time seemed to slow down for me. I saw a flash of white originate from one of the members. Something was approaching me, and it was going fast. I didn't have enough time to react when the knife shattered the glass in front of my face and deflected off of someone's sword. I looked up to see Zed with his sword out, furious at the fact that someone tried to hurt me. Mortifer turned around to face us. His face filled with desperation. He really wants us to go inside now.

"Just give us your friends Mortifer, or I'll have to kill that Violet girl also." A new voice emerged.

Mortifer's face changed, this time filled with panic. He turned to face a Laughing Coffin member who was in front of him. This guy held an estoc ready. He pulled down his hood and revealed a half-mask with red eyes. I know this guy…

"X-X… XaXa" Mortifer stammered. My heart skipped a beat as I realized who it was. Mortifer's former bestfriend. Red-Eyed XaXa. His partner for missions during his time in Laughing Coffin. Johnny Black stood right beside him, a knife that seemed to be dripping some liquid stuck in his hand. "I see… So you have partnered with Johnny now…"

"This is your last warning!" XaXa yelled. "Give us Zed, ViVi, Konno, Aqua and Trish!"

"Never!" Mortifer exploded. He quickly threw a knife in our direction. It bounced harmlessly off of Konno's shield. "Go!"

"To the basement!" Zed commanded. We all ran downstairs as I heard the sound of swords clashing from outside. Mortifer… Please live… Please save us… You are our only hope… You are my only hope… I don't want to see my only light go out.

 **Ten minutes later**

The sound of fighting outside kept going. From time to time, I can hear fighting right above us, meaning that they are trying to enter the house.

"How has he lasted this long?!" Aqua exclaimed. "There were like twenty of them! And those guys, PoH, XaXa and Johnny… They are the highest ranking officers."

"Violet are you okay?" Paradox comforted me. I gave no response as I listened to the ringing of swords outside.

Each time I heard a sword clash, a moment of worry always hit me square in the face. What if Mortifer is already dead and they are just making noises to fool us? Or what if he's calling for our help? These thoughts raced in my head as the noise suddenly died down. It was silent now. Did… Did he kill them all? Or did he die in vain? Soon I started hearing a banging on the basement door.

"Open up! Your friend is incapacitated!" A voice yelled. A quick cry left my mouth but Paradox stopped me. "Open up and maybe we will let you all live!"

Nobody made a move. Everyone was too scared. I don't believe a word he is saying but that doesn't mean everyone else doesn't.

"Ok, if that's what you want!"

They sounded like they were ramming the door. Both Rizer and Cayonz quickly flipped over Paradox's alchemy table and blocked the stairway. They even turned over a cabinet. Even Konno also helped by bringing an empty chest and stacked it on the cabinet. But they kept banging on the door, trying to force it open.

The banging stopped for a moment and the door exploded open with a boom. Two Laughing Coffin members fell down the basement stairs and crashed into our blockade. A dark mist covered their bodies. A giant dark cloud also came from the staircase and the sounds of swords resumed. But this time, it seemd more violent. I could hear screaming and shouting coming from outside, including a maniacal laughter.

"The door is still intact!" Rizer shouted. He began running up the staircase and shut the door closed. He started coughing as he ran back down the stairs. "What is this black smoke? I can't breathe at all."

"Just ignore it and get down here!" Cayonz shouted. When Rizer appeared, he coughed out the black smoke he breathed in. "Did you see anything up there?"

"No… I closed the door as soon as I got up there." Rizer gasped. His voice faltered for a moment. His voice didn't seem to be telling the truth. Nonethless, I'll ask him after this chaos. For now, we will remain here and wait.

 **A few hours later**

The fighting stopped soon after those guys fell down the stairs. We've tied them up, preventing them from escaping. None of us had the heart to kill them, even though they were here to kill us. Right now, it's just silent. No noises from down in the basement, or the sound of fighting upstairs. We sat around the basement, waiting for something to happen.

Soon enough, I started hearing footsteps from upstairs. One person for sure, unless the rest are trying to keep from making any sounds. But there was something else… I could sense their killing intent. Their bloodlust… They really want to kill someone right now. My prediction is, is that whoever is up there will kill the first person they see.

Soon the noise started getting closer and closer to the basement door until it finally stopped. I then heard a quiet knock come from the door. The knocking kept going endlessly.

"Violet?" I heard a weird distorted voice speak. "Are you guys in there? Open up…" Was it Mortifer? It didn't sound like him.

"Whatever you do, don't open that door!" I whispered to everyone.

"Why?" the voice spoke again, "Why won't you open the door?"

There was no doubt it was Mortifer. Only he could hear a whisper like that. But why is he acting all weird? Is it him I am sensing or someone else?

We stayed in the basement, afraid to move. The person who I assume to be Mortifer kept knocking on the door. Each knock was like someone screaming at me to help them. It felt like I would go insane from all the knocking until I noticed that someone was running up the stairs.

I looked over to the place where we tied up the LC members and saw that one has escaped. The other is still unconscious or sleeping. Before any of us could react, we heard the basement door open and immediately afterwards, a scream. A terror-filled scream. The screaming continued and then faded into the background. The final sound I heard was the sound of a player's death animation.

"Someone needs to go and lock that door." I whispered to everyone. Everyone stared at me in bewilderment. I couldn't argue since not even I want to go near that door or upstairs.

"I'll do it." ViVi volunteered. He stood up quickly and ran up the stairs.

"Be quiet!" Zed urged. ViVi didn't listen and slammed the door instead and ran back down the stairs. "You fool! Don't you know what stealth means?!"

"And you're saying that you would have done it differently?" ViVi argued back quietly.

Spot on… That's all I could think when ViVi said that. He hit the target spot on. Nobody else would have done it differently. Everyone is too scared to go slow and steady. Zed calmed down a little, admitting defeat. But that's when the knocking started again. Knock. Knock. Knock. Just constant knocking.

"Violet?" the same voice from earlier spoke. "Please… Open up… I'm so scared…" The voice sounded so hurt and pleading. It took all of my remaining will just to resist. I promised Mortifer not to open the door till the next day… I just hope everyone can also do the same.

 **The next morning**

I don't even know when I fell asleep. Cayonz and Rizer had apparently took shifts watching over us in case anything happened. The Laughing Coffin member had finally awakened and was eating breakfast with everyone. It just didn't seem right to treat him as a hostage, but I don't think Mortifer would say the same.

"Morning Violet." Paradox smiled. I gave her a warm smile back.

"Morning Paradox. Did anything happen last night?" I asked everyone.

"Not really. Just a couple more sounds from upstairs. Whoever is up there stopped knocking as soon as midnight came by." Cayonz yawned. "It's early in the morning right now. Our sleep routine is messed up from training."

"Have you tried going upstairs yet?" I asked them while munching on a sandwich.

"We were waiting for you to wake up." Zed spoke with his mouth full. "Anyways, what are we going to do with this guy?"

He pointed towards the Laughing Coffin member who sat at the other side of the table. He showed no aggression or retaliation. I finished up my sandwich and downed my drink.

"We'll let Mortifer handle it." I responded. "I'm sure that Mortifer is still alive since I sensed his killing intent."

"You can sense his bloodlust too?" Zed asked me. I nodded and wiped my face with a napkin.

"What do you mean by, _his_ killing intent? And what in the world is bloodlust?" ViVi askes hesitantly.

"You don't need to know. Come on. Let's go check and see what's going on outside." I told them. We all nodded and stood up.

The Laughing Coffin member also stood with us, still showing no signs of protest. I led the group and slowly went up the staircase. I quietly tried to push the door open but something was blocking the way. I peered through a small opening and saw that the whole house was a wreck.

A broken table blocked me from opening. I pushed against the door harder and managed to move the debris. I peeked into the hallway. Nothing. Empty vials littered around the house and the furniture was all over the place. It was enough to make me cry since we worked so hard on making this island. I hope the flower garden isn't damaged…

We all slowly walked out of the basement and explored around the house. All the windows didn't have anymore glass and the front door was broken. As I looked outside to the front yard, I saw Mortifer kneeling in the grass, surrounded by a graveyard of weapons stuck in the ground.

"Mortifer!" I yelled.

We all ran outside and approached him. I kneeled down in front of him and examined him. His cloak was torn up. His leather tunic remained intact but it had a few scratches on it which Rizer can fix up, He no longer wore his mask, which probably broke from all the fighting.

He was conscious but he didn't seem to notice us, as if he was in another world completely. He held The Sword of Darkness in his right hand, and held an empty vial in his other. He looked completely senile with the color in his face being completely gone. His eyes also seemed distant. The brown eyes I usually see are now replaced with a void that's filled with a feeling of sorrow. I touched his face with both my hands but he still gave no reaction.

"Mortifer… Wake up…" I whispered into his ear.

I pulled down my hood and touched my forehead to his. At that moment is when I realized I made a bad decision. In that instant, I heard a scream so deafening, I think my avatar would have perished and killed my real life body. I backed away immideately, not wanting to hear it again.

"Violet, what's wrong?" ViVi asked me.

"You didn't hear it?" I worried.

"Hear what?" Konno commented. He then put his finger in his ear, as if searching for something that was blocking sound. "I heard nothing."

I looked back to Mortifer, whose color started coming back. I could see his mouth twitch a little bit until he seemed to mouth a word. I crawled closer to him, testing to see if he was actually making a sound.

"Voi…" Mortifer mumbled.

"What? What did you say Mortifer?" I urged him. I moved even closer, putting my ear next to his mouth.

"Voices…" he faintly said aloud. "I can't sleep… It's so… painful…" Mortifer's eye color returned and he fell forward into my arms. "They won't stop…"

He started clutching my cloak and held on to me.

"They won't stop!" Mortifer sobbed. I could feel tears stream down his face and land on my arm. I enclosed him in a hug and rubbed his back.

"Trish. Can you make a melody? Or sing a song?" I begged her.

She acknowledged me and took out a tiny leaf. It was the leaf of Camphor Tree. There were many of these trees back in my family home in Kyoto. She settled the leaf in front of her lips and blew. At first a sharp sound came out from the leaf and but when Trish combined with it different notes, it became a euphonious melody.

Everyone closed their eyes and smiled as they listened to Trish play the leaf flute. When I closed mine, I imagined myself walking with Mortifer through my family's home in Kyoto. The lavenders my mom brought from a store blossomed nearby us. The leaves of a Magnolia tree fell into a Koi pond, making ripples in the water.

As I daydreamed, I felt Mortifer's grip loosen up a little bit and he straightened his composure. When Trish stopped, I opened my eyes to meet with Mortifer's. He still had an apathetic face, lacking any emotion whatsoever. I put his face into my hands and pulled him into a kiss. I held it like this for a second or so and let go. He still gave no response. I rubbed his cheek with my thumb which made him avert his gaze from my eyes. I tried making eye contact again but he just kept looking away.

"Sixteen…" Mortifer finally spoke. "I count sixteen…"

"Sixteen?" I repeated. "What are you counting?"

"He counted the amount of weapons stuck in the ground." Konno muttered in response. I looked up and observed around us. Sure enough, I counted 16 different weapons, stuck in the ground, ranging from swords to maces.

"It is also the amount of people you killed I'm assuming?" Zed questioned Mortifer. Everyone looked at Mortifer once again. His orange Color Cursor flashed above him constantly. I don't know what flashing means, but I don't think it is a good sign.

According to both Mortifer and Argo, there were about twenty LC members who came to attack us. One is with us right now, being kept on watch by Cayonz. Three must've escaped. Most likely their leaders, PoH, XaXa and Johnny Black.

"That's sixteen more lives I have to endure a haunting from for the rest of my life." Mortifer mumbled. Nobody dared to speak. Not even Zed, who threw a tantrum when he found out Mortifer was the Reaper.

"Mortifer, right?" the Laughing Coffin member spoke. "XaXa's former buddy?" I saw Mortifer's face flinch when he heard the name XaXa.

"What do you want?" I demanded from him, angry for saying XaXa's name.

"Nothing… It was just… I have always wanted to see who the Reaper was." The LC member replied. "He was basically everyone's role model until he turned traitorous on us. But no matter what, you are still the person who I look up to."

I felt anger and frustration surge through my body.

"He is not a killer like you guys! Don't look up to him as a role model for something so bad!" I screamed at him.

"Yet his heart has reaped the lives of so many people. So many lives cut short, all from one man. All the sadness and sorrow he has gathered… It must hurt" The LC member continued. Rizer punched him in the gut, making him wheeze.

"Shut up!" Rizer commanded. "He may have taken lives, but at least he still has a heart!"

"Don't we all?" The Laughing Coffin member chuckled. "So long, Reaper." Everyone's eyes broadened at the sound of the name, and at the same time, the LC member pulled out a Teleport crystal and shouted: "Teleport Tolbana!"

Zed attempted to tackle the LC member but his body disappeared before Zed made contact. Zed fell on the ground with a thud, failing to stop the murderer.

"Damn! He got away!" Zed cursed. He stood back up and wiped the dirt off of his clothes.

"Reaper…" Mortifer muttered. "Sorrow…" His voice seems to be coming back now and his face had an expression of… happiness?

"Reaper of Sorrow…" Mortifer smiled. He then began laughing and he kept repeating the name, "Reaper of Sorrow! I think that will do for now…"

"What do you mean 'that will do'?" Rizer questioned him.

"My nickname… You know, the name I've been trying to come up with since we formed this group?" Mortifer chuckled.

I couldn't help but laugh at how stupidly quick he changed the mood of the situation. Did he just forget about the weapon graveyard around us? Or was he so focused on what the guy said, that he found himself a new nickname? I still can't believe Mortifer is still this childish.

"Will you promise me not to do anything suicidal again?" I pleaded him.

"Sorry but, making that promise will break my other promises." Mortifer sighed. "I don't make promises I can't keep."

/

/

/

Don't worry guys, this is not the end of _Laughing Coffin_. That's right, there's gonna be more of these guys later on... I'm sorry... If you need an explanation of the **EDGY** nickname, _reap_ means to gather or to receive, and _sorrow_ is well, sorrow. Whenever Mortifer kills someone, a new Voice is added into his head. Each Voice in his head is basically a direct representation of his sorrow and pain. Thus, he is a _Reaper of Sorrow_ , or Gatherer of Despair. Also, this is the 1st chapter to surpass 10k words! That is excluding this Author's Note which is an accomplishment for me.


	22. Chapter 21: A Guild? What's a Guild?

**(Mortifer)**

 **A few days later**

I am fortunate enough to not be asked any questions on what exactly happened that day Laughing Coffin attacked. I am also lucky enough to not be getting nightmares every night I go to sleep. But the damage done towards the Island has left everyone in gloomy mood.

Furniture, windows, walls and even the forge is ruined because of my fight with the murder guild. The garden is the only part of the island that remained intact which the girls are very thankful for. Rizer has been working non-stop getting his forge back to the way it used to be while Cayonz, Violet and Paradox had gone out to get materials for rebuilding.

Right now, I am currently standing at the bridge to the Island, along with Zed and his friends. With Laughing Coffin gone, they don't have to worry about them anymore. From the looks of it, Zed is eager to leave. Even so…

"If you want to you are welcome to stay at the Island." I told the group, "If you choose to stay, you're going to have to abide with my rules and help with the reconstruction."

"Yeah right. As if I'm going to stay here with you." Zed scoffed. He started walking away from us until he noticed that his friends aren't moving an inch. "Guys, let's go. I'm sick and tired of this place."

"No." They all responded in unison.

Their respone surprised me completely since their voices were filled with such assertiveness. An expression of anger and confusion grew in Zed's face.

"No? What do you mean, no?" Zed growled.

"Zed, look around you. We have nowhere to go. Do you really want to go back to just wandering Aincrad without a home?" ViVi told him, "We can actually live her like a family and protect each other. Sure, I may be biased because my cousin is here, but still… Isn't protecting your friends important to you?"

"Dude Zed he's right." Konno concurred, "Sure we had fun traveling all over Aincrad but it just gets tiring. I'll still follow you wherever because I'm your best friend, but to be honest, I'd rather stay here."

"We are also sort of responsible for the damage done to their Island since they protected us from Laughing Coffin." Aqua mentioned but I shook my head.

"Don't worry about that. We have a lot of money to spare for repairing the Island. We would be glad if you guys were to help although we don't need it." I told them.

"If you guys want to stay then that's fine with me. I'm leaving though." Zed declared.

He started walking away from us and didn't even bother to look back. Although he was hesitant as first, Konno began following his best friend to wherever he was going. I let out a sigh and yelled out my farewell to him:

"At least say good bye to Paradox. She cares a lot about you."

With that sentence, Zed froze. It must've been because I was talking about Paradox. He stood still for a few seconds before continuing to cross the bridge. Both he and Konno disappeared out of our sights as they entered the forest.

"Will he ever change his personality?" Aqua questioned.

"Not likely. Zed-kun loves to be a person with high power, even in school." Trish shrugged, "To be honest, I think he would stay if Mortifer-san didn't bug him so much."

"Do I bug him by being stronger than him? Or because of my past?" I asked the two of them.

"Knowing Zed, it may very well be both." Trish responded.

"Likewise…"

"He'll come back to us eventually. Zed isn't the type who gives up his friends easily." Aqua stated with a smile. The two girls smiled and walked back to the Island, leaving me and ViVi by ourselves.

Ever since meeting him, this must be the first time I'm actually having a one-on-one conversation with him. ViVi looks like the talkative type, but he usually avoids me.

"T-Thank you…" ViVi finally, ending the silence, "For helping us get out of the jam we were in."

"It was nothing." I lied to him. Looking at his face, I could tell that he knew I was lying but I didn't care.

"Why did you choose to solo them?" ViVi asked me demandingly. The seriousness of his voice caught me off-guard, "We all trained so hard yet in the end, you did all the work. In fact, how did you even manage to fend off twenty people at once?"

I looked at the horizon then back to ViVi. I let out a long sigh as I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe one day you will find out. And when you do, your perspective of me will change completely. I just don't know if it will be better or worse." I told him, "Right now, you are too young to understand my problems. For now, take care of Violet for me."

"Speaking of Violet, have you harmed her in any way?" ViVi's tone got even more serious. He cares about Violet as much as I do, And with him being this serious, I know I can't lie to him or he will get angry.

"Yes." I said disgracefully, "I have harmed her. I won't tell you details. You can go ask Violet about those. Anyway, let's get back to the Island and work on rebuilding."

I walked up to ViVi and pat him on the head. I then began walking back to the Island, thinking of ideas we can do during reconstruction.

 **(Violet)**

 **Somewhere right outside of Panareze, 24** **th** **floor**

"A guild?" Cayonz questioned me, "Why would we want to make a guild? We only have five people. Ten if you include the other guys."

"I just thought it would be a fun idea to start one." I responded to him, "After all, we get party bonuses for partying with a guild member. It'd be easier for us to do stuff like farming with those bonuses."

"Have you even told Mortifer of your idea?" Paradox asked me but I simply shook my head in response, "Do you even know if he would approve of it?"

"If he doesn't approve it then we can always just run the guild by ourselves. If ever, we may have to get Zed to run the guild."

"Well, I like the whole guild idea but what are we even going to do once we make our guild?" Cayonz questioned, "We're strong enough and patient enough to continuously farm for the materials we need. Isn't there something else we can do other than just partying up to farm mobs?"

As he threw out his questions, a smile grew on my face. In my mind the idea would be exciting and fun, but if I ever tell Mortifer he may disapprove instantly.

I reached into my pocket to pull out the latest edition of the _Weekly Argo_. I turned to one of the pages and showed both Cayonz and Paradox a heading. Once seeing the heading, both of their eyes widened.

"Violet… You're kidding right?" Paradox trembled as she continued reading the section I showed them.

"No. I'm not. And I wanna be part of it by the end of next month." I told them.

"I don't disagree, but do you really think we can do it?" Paradox continued. I smiled and gave her a reassuring nod.

"Come on! Let's go tell Mortifer!"

 **Half an hour later, at the Island**

"Zed and Konno left?" I shockingly exclaimed.

"Zed did say he was leaving once the situation was dealt with. And Konno is especially loyal to him." Mortifer told me.

"Zed's too stubborn to listen to reason. Even he knows that he has nowhere to go if he leaves the Island." Aqua mumbled.

" It was his decision to leave. We can't force him to come back. Same thing with Konno although Konno did want to stay." Mortifer pointed out.

"So… do you think he will ever come back?" Paradox asked them.

"No clue. Chances are, we may never see him again." ViVi responded.

"Oh… Okay then…" Paradox whimpered.

Judjing from her reaction and the look in her eyes, Paradox seems depressed that Zed left. The two of them did have some sort of bond with each other. I felt a hand touch my own and looked to see Mortifer. His face showed that he also acknowledged Paradox's change in mood.

"Zed also has feelings for her." He whispered quietly into my ear. "The two have bonded but they just don't want to show it to us."

As I thought, those two have become close to each other. Closer than I have thought. My instinct tells me that Paradox may be the only reason for Zed to return to the Island, that is if he ever does. That is how strong I think those two have bonded.

At that moment, I saw Cayonz eyeball me. He nodded his head as if he were trying to tell me something. That's when I remembered what we were talking about while traveling to the Island.

"Oh hey, I almost forgot to say something!" I exclaimed. I let go of Mortifer's hand and sided with Cayonz and Paradox. With my arms open wide and a smile on my face, I announced: "Let's make a guild together!"

Everyone except for the three of us hand dumbfounded looks on their faces. Even my cousin ViVi started searching his ears with his finger to check for something blocking it.

"I'm sorry, did you say make a guild?" ViVi questioned.

"Yup!" I beamed proudly, "I was hoping for Zed and Konno to be in it but we can do it with just the eight of us."

"Tell them about the goal we will be achieving when we do make one!" Paradox added in.

I thanked her for reminding me and took out the same newspaper I showed her and Cayonz earlier. I marked the heading with my finger and showed everyone else. Thankfully, smiles grew in Trish's, Aqua's, ViVi's and even Rizer's faces. As expected, Mortifer didn't seem too excited.

"The Front Lines are recruiting players?!" Rizer exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement, "The Front Lines sounds fun, we should definitely join!"

Everyone looked at Mortifer, hoping for his permission, but he just stared at the ground blankly. I didn't know that I would get this much support for the idea to join the Front Lines, but I knew there was no way Mortifer would be willing.

Mortifer finally looked up and found himself being stared at. He held a confused expression on his face when he noticed, which confused me as well.

"Why are all of you looking at me?" he asked.

"Uh, duh! We're asking for your permission!" ViVi exasperated, "You're the leader after all!"

"Me? Leader?"

My mind went blank from Mortifer's words. I looked at him dumbfoundedly. Is he joking? His face doesn't show anything so he must be serious.

"Mortifer, did you not think you were going to be the leader?" I asked him.

"I mean I did, but I didn't know we would decide so quickly." He said as he scratched his head, "Plus, I have concerns…"

"Concerns like… what?" Rizer questioned him.

Of the possibly many concerns Mortifer has, I only know of two of them: him being The Reaper, and everyone's safety. Indeed, it would prove problematic if they found out we are hiding The Reaper.

"First of all is my criminal status," Mortifer began, "Then comes your safety. I can't actually help you guys at all since it will blow my cover. Then there's the guild name and if we can actually join the Front Lines."

Hearing his last few concerns, my mind exploded with surprise.

"Wait, so we can actually go and make a guild?" I beamed. Everyone else did as well and we had a mini celebration.

"Actually, when Paradox had joined our group, I started thinking of making our own guild." Mortifer admitted which surprised me completely, "Once we got ten or so people, we would form a guild and help clear the game."

"So you actually had a plan like this all along?" Paradox marveled.

"Well, yeah… But I gave up on it when _it_ happened." Mortifer stated.

The mood of the room dropped suddenly. Trish, Aqua, and ViVi are still not aware of Mortifer's story, but it is not something I want to remember.

"Well anyways!" I bursted out, trying to keep a neutral mood, "So what should the guild name be?"

At that moment, everyone started thinking up of names that we can call ourselves. Few names flooded into my head. Twilight Crusaders, Nega Nebulus, The Nightingales.

"Wolves of the Full Moon!" Rizer shouted out.

"I'm guessing you want that because there are wolves involved?" Cayonz questioned him.

"Shut up. I can't think of any others. I'm not that creative." Rizer snapped back in response.

"At least think of a name that reflects everyone in the group." Paradox muttered out.

"How can we? Everyone here is different!" ViVi complained.

What he said is in fact true. Not one person here is similar. In personality sure, but when it comes to likes and dislikes everyone is different.

I like the color violet as well as flowers. Rizer likes being scary despite his nice personality. Paradox absolutely loves nature more than anybody here. Trish is musically talented while Aqua likes blue and a sense of danger. Cayonz I have no clue since he never really shows much of himself and ViVi will just blurt out any stupid names his tiny mind can muster.

And then there's Mortifer. Knowing him, he must be thinking of something that relates to him or his past. Something about light or darkness. Even his avatar name is something that shows a hint of his darker side. And even though he believes he has a dark soul, he dwells in the light.

That's when I remembered the nickname Mortifer had obtained a few days ago. The Reaper of Sorrow. The gatherer of sadness is he says. A name that he loves because it is indeed the truth of who he is. And now that I'm thinking of it, it doesn't sound too bad…

"Reapers of Sorrow." I announced to everyone. They all stared at me as I said the name, "Just like Mortifer's nickname. Whenever one of us feels down, we take in each others' pain so we can help each other deal with it."

Everyone continued to stare at me, making me nervous. Although we do help each other cope with the pain, the name is also focused on Mortifer and doesn't fully reflect everyone. Even so, Rizer gave me a smile.

"The Reapers of Sorrow? I like the sound of it." Rizer grinned, "Each one of us is a Reaper who all follow the true Reaper of Sorrow."

"Why do I feel like everything is centered on me?" Mortifer mumbled, "Sure, I used to be an attention-seeker, but I'm not the person I used to be."

"Maybe because you have played the biggest role out of everyone here, and because your nickname is the coolest one ever." Rizer proposed.

"I sort of like it too." ViVi added which made me feel a little more relieved.

"Ahh! I can't think up of anything!" Aqua whimpered. She scratched her head furiously, angry at herself. She's probably not creative as well, "Let's just go with Reapers of whatever you said."

"Majority wins!" Paradox smiled.

"Okay then…" Mortifer sighed, "Just give me a moment to create it…"

He opened his menu and selected the Guild option. He inputted the name of the guild in its box and chose the symbol of a skull as our guild logo that appears next to our names. After a few more button strikes, Mortifer created the guild and sent out invitations to everyone.

In front of me, a screen of white appeared. The words: 'You have been invited to join the Reapers of Sorrow!' were written inside it. Two options right below it read 'Accept' and 'Deny'.

I accepted the guild invitation and my avatar glowed white for a second. The picture of a skull appeared next to my health bar at the corner of my vision.

Everyone else glowed white for a split second and we all observed each other's avatar names and health bars. The white skull hovered next to all of our names and our indicators were changed to blue, the symbol of a guild member.

"Well…" Mortifer began, "I guess we can celebrate the birth of our new guild!"

"Yeah!" We all shouted out in unison.

 **(Mortifer)**

 **Later that evening**

I had assigned Violet to be Vice-Commander, but Rizer will be the one leading everyone in the Front Lines since he has more combat experience. A certain someone would've been a better choice but he decided to leave.

We held a feast out at the bonfire area. We bought food from a market at a different floor and sacrificed three Teleport Crystals to do so since it was pretty far.

We all devoured the pig we roasted while also talking about how we can get to the Front Lines. The first idea was just to ask the current Front Liners if we could join or just try to show everyone how strong our guild is. Me? I'm thinking up of the nicknames I'm giving Aqua and ViVi.

I examined both Aqua and ViVi as well as trying to remember their personality and skills. Aqua has some electrifying blue eyes as well as really good vision. ViVi is the only person I know who wields a staff as a weapon. His Acrobatics skills are also really high for someone so low-leveled.

I was so focused on their names that I didn't notice Rizer sitting next to me. He finally caught my attention by waving his hand in front of my face.

"Oh sorry…" I apologized, "Need something?"

"I got a request for ViVi's name." Rizer stated.

I got a little surprised since Rizer usually doesn't care about this kind of stuff but my mind grew curious.

"What is it?"

"Sun Wukong." Rizer smiled.

"Sun Wukong?" I questioned him, confused about the weird name.

"It's another name for a character in this really old Chinese book." Rizer explained, "A monkey made of stone who wields a magical wooden pole."

"I see… Monkey for his rowdy personality. Stone for his stubbornness and the weapon for his weapon."

Although the actual name had no relationship to ViVi, the meaning behind the name describes him fully. Both Rizer and I smiled so I stood up and got everyone's attention.

"ViVi!" I shouted out while pointing at him, "Your nickname is Sun Wukong."

"What?" ViVi flummoxed, "What kind of name is that?"

"Unless you want Blabbermouth to be your name, you're gonna have to stick with that." Rizer laughed.

"Blabbermouth doesn't sound too bad. That'll be your name if you choose not to take Sun Wukong." I concurred.

"Okay, okay! I'll be Sun Wukong."

Everyone laughed at the secondary name Rizer came up with. Everyone except for ViVi of course. But then Aqua stood up and began speaking.

"Blue-Eyed Huntress." Aqua announced to all of us.

"Eh? Is that going to be your nickname?" Cayonz asked questioningly.

"I haven't thought up of anything better than that one. And I chose Huntress since I was always the one to get the food for the group. Either in the wild or in the NPC markets. Plus, my dad and I would go hunting all the time whenever we were on break down at the Alps."

"You? Hunting? What?" ViVi stuttered. He couldn't grasp the fact that Aqua would be that type of girl.

"It's settled then. These are our nicknames." I smiled, "Trish is Siren. Aqua is The Blue-Eyed Huntress. ViVi is Sun Wukong. You already know my name so I'll tell you everyone elses. Violet is Lavender. Rizer is White Fang. Paradox is Poison. And Cayonz… Wait… What where you again?"

"You weren't there when we gave him his nickname." Violet explained to me, "We decided upon Doc for him. His back-up is Doctor Pain."

"Okay then. Continuing on, Cayonz is Doc. Welcome to our group of friends!"

 **Midnight**

The moon is at its highest right now. The water surrounding the island glistened from the light that reflected off of the moon's surface.

Everyone's asleep except for me. Although I felt drowsy, I couldn't keep my eyes closed. I'm just on the roof, basking in the moonlight. My concerns about our new guild just kept running through my mind.

Although I agreed on the idea to join the Front Lines, I can't actually help at all with that. If I show myself anywhere near the Front Lines, I'll be dead.

And if I do get caught, then what will the guild do? Sure they can't actually torture me since I can't feel any pain. If they threaten my life, then so be it. But if they somehow find out about the guild then what will happen?

Even now, I'm having trouble just keeping Laughing Coffin of our backs, but at least they haven't actually revealed my identity. Not even they would dare give up information about me since I will do the same to them.

The train of thought ended when I heard the sound of a door openening below me. I looked down and saw Paradox standing on the balcony in her night gown.

She leaned on the balcony guard rail and stared out into the open. I heard her let out a sigh. She must be thinking about Zed and his sudden departure. The two really were closer than I thought.

In that instant, a screen of white appeared in front of Paradox. It was a message from Zed. She stood up straight in surprise and let out a gasp. She opened the message and began reading. I tried reading myself but she is blocking my view.

Paradox then quickly rushed back inside the house and I heard her running down the stairs. In just a few moments, I saw her running out of the house and headed towards the bridge. Is she going to meet Zed?

Nonethless, I quietly jumped down to the balcony then to the ground below me. I silently chased after Paradox as she began crossing the bridge.

Instead of walking on solid ground, I chose to swim instead to be quieter. I held onto the side of the bridge and dragged my body across the ocean water. With all the ambient sounds and her footsteps, there's no way Paradox can hear me.

Finally, across the bridge, Paradox entered the forest. Before following her any further, I dried myself and swiftly climbed a tree. I jumped from tree to tree, following Paradox from up above. I have to be careful not to break branches or else she will hear me.

Eventually we reached a part of the forest that looked awfully strange to me. I observed my surroundings and noticed a giant fir tree that stood out from all the thinner ones. Why does this scene look so familiar?

Paradox suddenly stopped running and stood in front of the giant tree. She slowly approached it and touched it with her hand. And that's when I heard a sharp and quick sound from nowhere.

"Psst!

Paradox quickly turned around to the origin of the noise. I also looked to see a hooded player hiding behind a tree.

"Is that you Zed?" Paradox called out.

The player pulled up their hood to reveal their face. It was indeed Zed, and Paradox indeed came here to go visit him. Zed approached Paradox while also checking his surroundings. He didn't notice me because he didn't check what's above him.

"Why did you leave so suddenly? You didn't even say good bye." Paradox scolded him while crossing her arms.

"I just wanted to leave as soon as possible. I was getting tired of staying in one place." Zed explained to her.

"You mean you were getting tired of Mortifer?" Paradox pressured him.

Zed let out a long sigh. His next move surprised me completely. He pushed Paradox against the tree and held her there with his arms. Paradox let out a short cry of pain.

My mind race as the scene unfolded before my eyes. Zed moved in close and put his lips onto Paradox's. Her eyes were filled with shock and she tried to push Zed away but he refused to move back.

That's when my conscious left my body and began searching through my memories. It was here where it happened, almost a year ago. Where I found Paradox captured by three people whose names I don't know. It was this same giant tree she was pinned against. I'm reliving a manifestation of the night where my curse began. The Night of the Forest.

I felt the feeling of my body return to me but it didn't feel the same. My body began moving on its own now and I jumped off the tree. Just like what happened on that night, I used Embracer and pulverized the ground beneath me, scaring the crap out of Zed and Paradox.

"Mortifer? Why are you here?!" Paradox exclaimed, completely surprised.

I responded but my mouth couldn't open, making my response all muffled and distorted.

"What did you say? Speak clearly?"

I wanted to tell them to run in case something bad happens, but then my body rushed over to Zed and grabbed his neck with two hands. I began choking him out of my own will.

"Mortifer what are you doing!" Paradox started screaming. She grabbed my arm and tried to break my grip but she wasn't strong enough, "You're killing him!"

"I-I can't control my body." I managed to voice out though it was still barely audible.

Zed's face is red with stress. Can I actually kill him by choking? I examined his health bar and noticed the steady decrease. I am definitely killing him.

"W-What are you doing Mortifer?" Zed choked. He reached his hand down to his waist and pulled out a sword. I felt my grip tighten and Zed's face became filled with more pain.

"Mortifer you need to stop now!" Paradox screamed, eyes tearing.

I tried responding by stopping myself, but I could no longer feel my body. Zed's health soon reached the red zone and body slumped as both air and his life is being taken from him. I was about ready to face the self-punishment I will put on myself when I felt something behind me. I turned around just in time to see what seems like an iron wall bash me in the face, knocking me out cold.

 **(Violet)**

 **That same night, early in the morning**

I woke up from shouting that came from downstairs. I rubbed my eyes and forced myself to get out of bed. Still in my night clothes, I walked out of my room and headed downstairs where the lights were all open.

"What's going on? Why are you guys awake at a time like this?" I yawned.

I saw everyone bunched around the living area, specifically the couches. Everyone spread apart to reveal both Mortifer and Zed lying on the couches with Paradox crying.

Now aware of the situation, I quickly rushed over to Mortifer and noticed a giant red mark on one side of his face. Zed's pale face was completely drained of blood and red marks also covered his neck.

"What happened to them?" I interoggated them.

"Mortifer attacked Zed and almost killed him." A familiar voice spoke. I turned and saw Konno standing by himself at a corner, "I knocked Mortifer out by bashing his skull in with my shield."

"Hold on, did Mortifer attack him intentionally?" I quickly asked them, "There's no way Mortifer did it intentionally!"

Konno only shrugged and pointed at the crying Paradox. She used her arm to dry her eyes from tears and faced me.

"I'm not exactly sure, but I think he had a panic attack." Paradox sniffled, "I think it's because of the location we were at."

"Location? What do you mean by location?" I questioned her. That's when Rizer decided to take over.

"The same location when _it_ happened." Rizer put emphasis on _it_ as if trying to say something, "You know, the night that _it_ happened."

My eyes widened in the realization of what he was talking about. I remember that night as clear as day. Lightning cracked the sky and Paradox bound to a tree. And Mortifer running away in terror.

"Can someone please explain?" Konno growled, "What location? And what night? What is this _it_ that you guys are talking about?"

"It's not for us to say… If you want to know you're going to have to ask Mortifer." Cayonz spoke up.

At that instant, Zed suddenly sat up and started screaming. Paradox quickly held him with her arms, trying to calm him down. Zed's eyes were alert and full of fear. He stopped screaming but continued to hyperventilate.

"Wha… What happened?" Zed asked, "How did I get here?"

"Zed do you remember anything that happened? Anything at all?" I asked him calmly.

"I-I remember choking. Mortifer was choking me. And… And voices. I heard people screaming, and I saw them too. I saw so many of them dying."

My mind couldn't process the information. Not because it was too much, but because of what it was about. Zed had somehow heard the Voices. No… Not just heard, he saw how Mortifer killed those people. Zed then looked at Paradox and rubbed her cheek affectionately.

"You were there too. It was stormy and you were bound to a tree. I don't remember much, but all I know is that you were suffering. Suffering so much. And then he saved you."

Zed pointed to the unconscious Mortifer. The red mark of Konno's shield is fading but the mark is clearly visible. His chest moved up and down from his breathing. Zed then looked at me with a dead serious face. He let go of Paradox and grabbed me by the collar of my shirt.

"What the hell happened to him that night?"

 **(Mortifer)**

 **A couple of hours later**

I woke up, feeling dazed and groggy. Maybe even a bit hungover. I found myself in the house, lying on the sofa. Sleeping on the sofa next to me was Violet, who snored lightly.

Memories of what happened last time came rushing back at me. I was choking Zed, out of my own will, and then an iron wall hit me in the face. All because it reminded me of that night at the same forest. Yet I still can't really tell if that was me choking Zed, or something the system forced me to do.

No, I need to stop dwelling on that. It will only make things worse for me. Right now, I need to go to apologize to the people who I've hurt. Maybe I should wake Violet up too.

"Hey Violet," I whispered to her while shaking her by the shoulders, "Violet wake up."

"Hmm?" Violet yawned out. She focused her eyes on me and immediately grew alert. She sat up quickly and wrapped her arms around my neck, "Oh Mortifer thank god you're fine."

"Let's go meet everyone. Also how long was I out?"

"It's ten in the morning right now and apparently the thing happened around midnight. So about ten hours." Violet deduced.

"Not too bad. I didn't get sleep anyway so that must be part of it. Never mind that, where is everyone?"

"Right now? In the basement I think. They're probably making plans for joining the Clearing Group."

While holding Violet's hand, I stood up and headed for the basement door. Even without needing to open the door, I can already hear everyone talking downstairs. I opened the door and descended to the basement along with Violet.

When I turned the corner to see everyone gathered around Paradox's potion table, I saw Zed and Konno amongst them.

"The Reaper of Sorrow is finally awake, isn't he?" Zed mumbled, "Get any nightmares about that night in the forest?" My eyes grew wide in shock as he mentioned the Night of the Forest.

"Zed!" Paradox exclaimed. He held up his finger to silence Paradox. He then let out a long sigh and held an expression of empathy.

"While you were choking me, I heard the things inside your head. Violet told me what happened to you that night. Don't worry, everyone else doesn't know. Also, I'm sorry for what happened to you that night."

I was left speechless, as did everyone else in the room. This is a side of Zed I have never seen before. The side of him that cares for others.

"You do not need to feel sorry for me. I came to apologize about what happened last night. I don't need your forgiveness, just your understanding."

I then looked at Konno and noticed the giant shield he's always carrying around. The pattern of the shield looked similar to the iron wall that hit me in the face last night

"You're the one who knocked me out, right?" Konno gave me a simple nod in return, "Well then thank you for stopping me."

I then approached the table in which there were multiple pieces of paper laid out. Most of them were notes on farming spots, dungeons and quests. Some were maps of entire floors and dungeons.

"Oh and uh we encouraged Zed and Konno to stay with us, so they are now officially part of the guild." Violet informed me.

"I see… Then that means I'm going to have to change things up a bit…"

I pointed a finger at Zed and made an announcement that would shock everyone:

"I will transfer Rizer's role of the Commander of the Vanguard to you. You will take responsibility as well as overlook the guild while in the Front Lines."

"Wait… What?!" Zed perplexed, "You're making _me_ the vanguard commander?"

"I can not show myself to anybody in the Front Lines because my bounty is still in effect. Violet is Vice-Commander of the guild so of course her decision will overrule yours, but you will handle negotiations, battle strategy, and such."

"But you're making _me_ the commander?" Why me?!" Zed and everyone else just couldn't grasp the fact that I made him the sub-leader.

"Originally I was going to have you be the leader. You convey strong leadership skills and your resolve to protect friends is also high. If you have a problem with me assigning you this position, you may give it back to Rizer."

Zed was left speechless before me. So was everyone else. I looked at Rizer to make sure he was fine with my decision and he gave me a nod back.

"If you need me, I'll either be in my room, at the gazebo, or on the roof."

I left everyone slightly astounded and began heading up the stairs out of the basement. When I got to the top, I heard everyone whisper quietly but chose to ignore it. I took my first step outside and soon I heard everyone loudly talk about plans for the guild.

This will mark the beginning of our guild. This will be our time to shine now. Although I can't help them, my goal for the guild is to not just join the Front Lines, but to be so well synergized, that we will become one of the strongest guilds.

Zed, Violet… Everyone… Show me your resolve to beat this death game, once and for all.

/

/

/

If you haven't already noticed the multiple references in the stories then let me just point out a few. Zed is a character from _League of Legends_ who just happens to be a ninja warrior that throws blades. Nega Nebulus is a reference to the anime/light novel _Accel World_ , also by Reki Kawahara. The Nightingales and Dawnbreaker are references to Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Of course there are other references but i'm a bit too lazy to say them all here. You guys can figure it out.


	23. Chapter 22: Achieving Goals

**(Violet)**

 **May 2024, a week after Zed and Konno returns**

We spent no time slacking around and being lazy. Everyone except for Mortifer worked hard in trying to level themselves up so we can all be strong enough for the Front Lines.

It was yesterday when Zed and I had visited the Front Lines ourselves to see what's it like there and also signing up to join. Now, we are all together, farming at floor sixty, the highest floor reached at this time. This floor is pre-historic themed, so the monsters are mainly reptiles, including dinosaurs.

It was also yesterday when Mortifer decided to give Zed Dark Repulser, the sword that Rizer made for him. He told him to keep it since he has his own swords. Although everyone has seen both of the twin blades, nobody knows about the secrets Mortifer hides behind the swords. Everyone except Rizer that is.

Mortifer is somewhere around here, watching over us from a distamce. He has the maps of all the farming spots so he is being our navigator while also being here to protect us from any danger.

"This area is just about cleared of all mobs. Clean up the rest of the trash mobs so we can move onto a different place." Zed announced loudly to everyone, putting his new sword into his sheathe.

We did as we were told and killed the remaining mobs. Usually, you would leave all the weak mobs, but to us, every point of experience or coin of Cor is precious. Compared to Mortifer, we are terribly underleveled but we are slowly catching up to the base standard of the Front Lines.

"Well, that's the last of them. They should respawn again in a couple of hours so let's come back if we can." Rizer spoke up, "Trish, go ahead and call him."

I looked over to Trish as she worked her "magic". She pulled out a reed pipe and put one of the openings to her mouth. She blew a note which sounded throughout the forest around us. The birds around us mimicked the sound a few times until it faded. I then saw a flash of light originate from the treetops near us.

I looked over to the light to see Mortifer, holding up his Sword of Light. He manipulated the sword so that the light pointed towards the heart of the forest and we all started walking towards the given direction. He learned that the light that the sword emits can be commanded to do several things. Above us, I saw Mortifer hastily jump his way to the next area. I watched as he jumped from tree to tree until he was so far ahead that I couldn't see him anymore.

"He makes it look so easy…" ViVi mumbled, "But in reality, just managing to climb up these trees is almost impossible."

"What do you expect? It's freaking Mortifer. And with him being twenty levels higher than Zed, its no surprise he can be that nimble." Aqua stated, "But I think there's only one thing more annoying than Mortifer right now. And it's right in front of us."

Both she and ViVi let out a long sigh. I looked past them to see what they were talking about and immediately noticed it. At the very front, leading the group, was Zed who is holding hands with Paradox and quietly talking to her.

Ever since Zed had returned to the group, he and Paradox have decided to not just become friends but boyfriend and girlfriend. They seemed madly in love with each other since they were always together but Paradox has denied this. Although I know she is lying since sometimes I catch them walking around the Island in the middle of the night. Though I can't say much either since Mortifer and I were just like that, sort of.

Just then, I heard a loud shriek from above us. It echoec across the entire forest until it faded. And from out of nowhere, the canopy of the forest broke open and out came a fairly large monster with wings. It crashed to the ground while also letting out its reptilian cry. From the looks of it up close, the monster looked like a dinosaur. The monster then died and broke into millions of fragments, revealing a person.

At first, I thought the person was Mortifer but I was mistaken. This person looked smaller and he did not wear the clothes Mortifer usually wears. He held a gleaming black sword in his hand but it did not look like The Sword of Darkness. When the mysterious character faced us, I thought it actually was Mortifer until I remembered someone else with that face.

"Kirito?!" I exclaimed. Both Rizer and Paradox were also taken by surprise while everyone else is clueless.

"Violet, right? It's been a while." Kirito greeted with a smile, "I see you've gained some more friends."

"Yeah, and we made a guild too." I continued talking to him, but in the back of my head, I was waiting for the moment he is going to ask about Mortifer, "What are you doing out here all alone?"

"I'm just levelling myself up. The monster I just killed decided that I would be its meal. Thankfully it was weaker than I thought."

"But why are you out here by yourself? Are you not in a party with people?"

"No, I don't do those kinds of things. I'm a solo player."

"I see…" I was going to continue talking to him until Zed stepped in front of me and faced Kirito.

"You're The Black Swordsman right?" Zed questioned, "A Front Liner who works by himself except in boss raids?"

I looked at Kirito quickly for reassurance. He gave us a nod in response. I gasped at the fact that he is part of the Clearing Guild. No… Even more, this could actually help us get into the Front Lines.

"I heard that the Front Lines are recruiting people since they are beginning to lack players. Is that true?"

"Well I'm a solo player so I don't know the exact details, but yeah, I heard we needed players. With the state of SAO, the number of people trying to clear the game is dying out. I guess the ads in the _Weekly Argo_ was like an act of desperation."

"Actually, we want to join the Front Lines. Can you help us out with that?"

Kirito raised his eyebrows, both in a surprised and questioning way. He was about to speak until he stopped himself. He then picked up his sword and quickly turned around.

"Who's there?!" Kirito shouted. At first I thought he was messing with us, but then remembered that there is someone else other than Kirito who is near us: Mortifer. "Show yourself!"

Nobody dared to speak. Maybe we were all surprised that Kirito sensed Mortifer. Then again, he could be messing with us. Finally, Kirito put his sword down and scratched his head.

"I swear I sensed someone watching us, but the feeling just disappeared completely without a trace. I even tried using Tracking mode but found nothing."

"Can we get back to the Front Lines topic?" Zed asked demandingly, "So can you help us out with that?"

"Like I said, I'm just a solo player. If you really want to get in or at least get more details, you can go visit my friend. Her name is Asuna. You may know her as Flash or the Vice-Commander of The Knights of Blood Oath."

I had a flashback to the time when I first saw her, when the game had just started. We partnered up with her too during the 25th floor boss raid. And the last time we saw her was in Algade. She was putting up posters about the bounty set on The Reaper. The bounty set on Mortifer. That calm and innocent hazel-haired girl, now the Vice-Commander of the strongest guild.

"Thanks for the advice." Zed thanked Mortifer's brother, "We'll go visit her."

"Okay then. I'll be going. My inventory is full from farming so much. I do hope to see you guys in the Front Lines. Seeing friendly faces are quite nice." Kirito then pulled out a Teleport Crystal and held it up high, "Teleport, Algade!"

Kirito's body began disappearing into pixels. At the same instant, Mortifer appeared out of nowhere, right next to the disappearing Kirito. When Kirito was completely gone, that's when Mortifer began talking.

"Good job asking him about the Front Lines. We needed the info." Mortifer spoke, "Now we can see if we can ask our way into the Front Lines."

"Whoa, whoa, hold on just a second… Where the hell did you come from?" Zed exclaimed, "I looked at Kirito the whole time and didn't notice you whatsoever. And then you just appeared out of nowhere."

"I noticed that too. In fact, it surprised me so much I wanted to cry out." Paradox admitted, shamefully looking at the ground.

I forgot that they do not know of Mortifer's secret ability. He has never gone in full detail of it, but all I know is that it hides him completely. Even Kirito wasn't able to notice him, and Mortifer must've been right next to his brother too.

"I dropped from the trees above us." Mortifer lied, pointing up at the canopy above us. The gap which Kirito and the dinosaur had fallen through had repaired itself, "You must've tunnel-visioned on Kirito so much you didn't see me fall. So what's the plan now? We still going to the farming spot, or are we going to call it a day and visit Grandzam?"

We all looked at Zed who looked at me. I shook my headed and pointed at him. He should make the decision. After all, he is the vanguard commander. He began thinking about his decision until he came up with an answer.

"Violet, Rizer and I will head to Grandzam then to negotiate with the KoB tomorrow. Right now, it's getting late and I'm tired, so I guess I'll call it a day for us."

"I'm fine with going home, but why do I need to come?" Rizer questioned.

"I don't know. I just thought it we can use you to display how strong the guild is."

"You're planning to use me as a display just to get into the lines?!" Rizer raged at Zed.

"Hey, your superior strength makes up for your lack of intellect. Heck, I don't even know if you know the meaning of the word intellect." And with that insult, Rizer dropped his sword and began chasing down Zed who laughed as he ran away.

Everyone began laughing including myself. Although what Zed said is mean and not entirely true, the fact that Rizer is the one being made fun of makes everyone smile since he is usually the joker. I checked to see how much Mortifer was enjoying the moment when I saw his expression. It was completely blank, or there must be so many emotions that not a single one dominated.

"Mortifer, what's wrong?" I asked him quietly so nobody else could hear.

"He didn't even mention my name." Mortifer pointed out. Looking back at it, Kirito didn't ask anything about Mortifer, "Though I shouldn't be surprised about that. Come on, let's head back home together."

Mortifer reached his hand out for mine and smiled. I smiled back and took his hand. We called out to everyone that we are leaving and for Zed and Rizer to stop fooling around. Afterwards, we ventured home together. Tomorrow is going to be very busy.

 **The next day**

 **55** **th** **floor, Grandzam**

This will be my first time visiting this place. It's also known as the Steel City due to the fact that basically everything is made of steel. Even the Knights of the Blood Oath main building is made of steel. In front of the building, there were two guards in KoB clothing.

Rizer, Zed and I slowly approached the front of the building, gaining a look from the guards. Together, we climbed up the steps of the building and confronted the guards.

"I've never seen you guys before. What's your business here?" one of the guards asked.

"We're here to ask for information about joining the Front Lines. A friend recommended us to his friend, your Vice-Commander." I spoke to them

"I'm sorry but it seems the Vice-Commander is busy at the moment. She is preparing to leave for the sixtieth floor. You may have to come some time later or tomorrow."

As if it were the luck of the draw, a young hazel-haired lady walked out of the door along with two other people. Her face expressed stress and boredom which quickly changed when I made eye contact with her.

"Violet-chan, is that you?" she exclaimed happily, "It is!" She ran down the steps of the entrance and confronted me. She took my hands into her hands and held them tightly, "It's been so long since we last met. What brings you to Grandzam?"

"Actually we were looking for you." I admitted. A surprised look formed in her face.

"How come? Did you want to talk about something?" she questioned.

"Let me show you." Rizer interrupted. He reached into his pockets and started searching for something. He pulled out a slightly crumpled piece of paper and unraveled it. "We wanted to talk to you about this."

She examined the piece of paper and so did I. It was a page from the _Weekly Argo_ , specifically the one with the article about the Front Lines recruiting new people.

"The Front Lines? You want to join?" Asuna questioned. The three of us nodded in response. Asuna then held a look of uncertainty. She looked at the three of us as if she were checking to see if we looked capable, "Where's that other guy? What's his name again…? Mortifer I think?"

The question caught me off guard. I was about to respond until I felt Rizer pinch me from behind. He gave me a dead serious look and at that moment I remembered the relationship between Mortifer and the Knights of the Blood Oath. If I tell her that Mortifer is alive, she may want to question him.

"He's… Gone…" I lied with a saddened tone, "He died last year, protecting a friend of ours." Asuna immediately put her hands to her mouth in shock.

"I'm so sorry. I-I didn't know." Asuna apologized.

"It's fine." I told her with a reassuring smile, "The past is the past. You have to overcome what happened and move on." Even as I said that, just remembering about the Night of the Forest and the collapsed cave made my eyes tear.

"Can we get back to the Front Lines and stuff?" Zed grumbled impatiently.

"Okay sure. I was actually about to head to the sixtieth floor right now. We are going to take down the field boss of the floor. If you want to come with me then bring your guild along. Speaking about guilds, how many members do you have?"

"We're just a small group of nine people, but we want to help to clear the game even with our small numbers."

"Nine? At least more than Fuurinkazan." Asuna's faced held a questioning look and then she smiled, "Well whatever, go ahead and bring them along. You can help us with this field boss."

"Wait seriously?" Zed exclaimed. Asuna gave him a smile and nodded, confirming Zed's doubts, "This is sudden. I'll contact them right now." Zed fiddled with his menu and hastily sent messages to everyone in the guild.

"I've seen Violet and Rizer fight before, so I'm confident in the rest of your guild's ability. The field boss meeting is two and a half hours from now at the main settlement of floor sixty. Afterwards, we will attack the field boss right away. I'll see you there!"

 **An hour and a half later, back at the Island**

Everyone scrambled around the house and around the forge. Rizer is hastily fixing up our equipment while Konno and Cayonz helped him distribute it. Paradox was busy brewing dozens of potions with Trish giving her the ingredients and Aqua sorting them into bags.

Zed is helping out wherever he can but is mainly just yelling for everyone to hurry up. I just got done waking up a groggy ViVi whose movements are still a bit sluggish. And now, I need to find Mortifer.

The first place I checked was his room. I took a quick peek and saw nobody. I then went out to the balcony to check if he was on the roof, only to find nobody. I looked towards the gazebo and the garden. Nothing. Where is he?

"Hey, does anybody know where Mortifer is?" I shouted as I ran down the stairs.

"No clue. I saw him leaving a while ago, like half an hour before you guys came back." Konno informed me.

"Did you manage to tell him about the field boss meeting?" Zed asked his friend.

"Yes, but he didn't say a word in response. He just left the Island."

For Mortifer to do something like that is not uncommon, but it's still weird since this is a big event that is happening to us. I'm worried, but we're already ready to go to the field boss meeting so there isn't really anything that can stop us now.

"Okay all the potions I could brew are done!" Paradox shouted from down in the basement.

"Equipment is almost done! Rizer just needs to fix up my shield then that's it." Konno shouted as he, Cayonz and Rizer walked in the room with my equipment.

I hastily equipped my leather tunic along with my rapier. I was about to leave when something caught my eye. At the corner of the living room, my mask sat quietly on top of the bookshelves. I walked over to the bookshelves and picked up my mask. I hadn't worn this mask since the twenty-fifth floor boss a year ago.

I smiled and put on my mask. When Paradox noticed me put on my mask she smiled. She opened her inventory and materialized her own mask. I had already forgotten the look of her own since she never wore it. The floral patterns that I designed unto it a long time ago were still there.

Rizer is always wearing his wolf mask so he didn't need to take it out. Cayonz took out his mask which I designed to be like a witch doctor. Zed's mask didn't cover his eyes but rather his mouth. It had the pattern of a smiling skeleton.

ViVi's mask was a little bit like the Yin Yang: one side is completely white while the other had a black pattern running through it. By request, Aqua's and Trish's masks had the design of the masquerade mask, only covering the eyes. Konno's mask is the outlier since his is really just a scary helmet rather than a mask. The design of it closely resembled that of a samurai helmet. More specifically a shogun.

Even if it does reduce our peripheral vision just a little bit, it will at least let us stand out more from the Front Lines. After all, it's about making a good first impression.

"Konno's shield is done!" Rizer shouted all the way from the forge. He came running into the room with Konno's gigantic iron shield.

Konno quickly put on his heavy armor and covered it up with his cloak. He then grabbed his shield strapped it to his arm. I'm still surprised by the fact he can carry a shield that big with one arm.

Together, we all walked outside of the house. With Zed and I leading the way, we walked to Panareze in a brisk pace. In about an hour, the field boss meeting will start. Asuna has already expected us to be there and we will. This may be our only chance to get into the Front Lines. We're not going to let it slip away that easily.

And as we crossed the bridge together, I caught a glimpse of a figure standing amongst the treetops. The figure held up what seemed like a mask then briefly saluted us. I smiled as I watched Mortifer then jumped his way to the city of Panareze.

 **An hour later, 60** **th** **Floor, outside the main settlement**

I found myself surrounded by more than fifty other players. All of them belonged in guilds of their own. I saw members of the Divine Dragon Alliance, the second-strongest guild in the game. I saw a bunch of other smaller guilds including Fuurinkazan, who only had six members but each were powerful. Their leader, an orange haired fellow, was busy conversing with Kirito who we surprised by our appearance.

"I'm glad you guys could make it." Asuna greeted us, "So these are your new friends?"

"Yeah. Want me to introduce them to you?" I offered her.

"We have time before the meeting starts, so go ahead. I want to learn more about you guys." Asuna agreed.

I motioned for everyone to gather around and they all lined up behind me.

"You already know Rizer. He's our main tank and the guild's smith." I then pointed to Paradox and Cayonz, "These two are Paradox and Cayonz. They are our support people, offering us the healing we need during battle. Paradox is our potion maker while Cayonz is our battle medic, if that's the right term for it."

"An alchemist? We could use someone like you. The Clearing Guild is lacking someone of your skills." I then pointed towards Zed.

"Zed is commander of our vanguard. He's our best fighter." Zed materialized a bunch of knives and flashed them to Asuna, smiling. "This is Konno, our second tank and mace-wielder. This is ViVi, my cousin. He uses a quarterstaff for his weapon. These two are Aqua and Trish. They are not much of fighters but they help out wherever they are needed."

"Again you guys are belittling me." Aqua complained.

"Well how else can we explain you? Sure you have good perception but you have barely leveled your dagger skills." Zed grunted.

"Well if you had told me that archery doesn't exist in this game sooner maybe I would've!" Aqua snapped back in response, kicking Zed.

Everyone including Asuna laughed at the livid Aqua. Then at that moment, a deep voice called out for Asuna.

"Asuna-sama! We need you! The meeting is about to commence."

"Okay, I'll be right there." Asuna shouted back in response, "Thanks for introducing me. I hope you guys thrive here in the Front Lines!"

The Flash hurried away to her guild members and started conversing with them. The sound of a horn blowing sounded throughout the room we were in. Everyone gathered around an enormous table at the center of the room, littered with maps and notes on the field boss. Once everyone gathered up around the table, the conversations died down.

"The field boss strategy meaning will now begin." A KoB member spoke up. He backed away from the table, letting Asuna take over. The once nice, caring, and young lady that I was just speaking too now has an expression of complete seriousness.

"The scout team has investigated the field boss guarding the labyrinth of this floor." Asuna started speaking, "Upon encountering the field boss, they discovered that it is an aerial type monster. A flying dinosaur."

Murmurs and light conversations filled the room. Although I can't fully hear what they were saying, I could tell that nobody here likes the flying-type monsters. And speaking from experience, I don't like them either.

"The boss is located inside a cave near the dungeon floor's entrance. According to them, the boss has a simple attack pattern, though they do not know if it will change or not. When it's airborne, it apparently throws fiery rocks at us and breathe fire so we're going to have to take cover. Do not take the boss lightly!"

Asuna's tone change right away at that statement. Her face was even more serious than before.

"Information from the scouts say that one attack was enough to bring someone to the red zone. Zeus sacrificed his life to save the other scouts."

At that statement, more murmurs were heard around the room. Was it because of this Zeus guy who had died?

"Who is this Zeus guy?" I heard Zed ask someone next to him.

"He's the most powerful member of the scout team. He was a member of the Knights of the Blood Oath." The clearer responded. Both my mind and body started shaking in fear. What kind of field boss is this?

"The strategy is to get as many tanks as possible to take the aggro of the boss. We also need players with a high SPD stat. The window we have to attack the boss when it lands on the ground is only a few seconds. I hope all of you have brought a potion of two, because this fight is going to get ugly."

 **Half an hour later**

We traversed the jungle, with our group of more than fifty players. The occasional monsters that attacked us were taken out right away without a second thought. We were nearing the field boss's cave which is located in a clearing in the middle of the jungle.

As I walked through the jungle, the sunlight would blind my eyes through the tree canopies constantly. It became so frequent that I used my mask as a vizier to protect my eyes. But when I noticed a small beam of light shaking on the ground in front of me, I knew something was up.

I looked around the treetops, searching everywhere until I spotted a dark figure amongst the trees. The bright white sword was covered by his cloak to prevent anybody else from seeing except me. It was Mortifer who was blinding me with light, not the sun.

Slowly but surely, I started heading towards Mortifer's location. I watched as he silently climbed down the tree and hid in a nearby brush. I managed to reach his location and scanned the area for any eavesdroppers.

"It's clear." I whispered to him. He popped out of the bush and looked around.

"I'm worried about this fight…" Mortifer stated, "It's your first boss fight in a long time. This boss will be a lot tougher than Nahkriin, and we both know what happened there with the people in The Army"

"Will you be watching over us?"

"Of course I will. If things get bad though, I'm going to intervene with the fight, whether it is to fight the boss or distract it long enough to save you guys."

"Violet?" a voice called out. I turned around to see Kirito wading through a thicket, "What are you doing out here by yourself? Who were you talking to?"

I had a puzzled look on my face. Surely Kirito saw Mortifer. I turned back around only to see Mortifer gone. Did he hide himself that fast? I looked around frantically but saw no traces of him. Not even his own footsteps.

"Come on, we're falling behind the group. You do not want to piss of Asuna when it comes to something this serious." Kirito pointed out. I'll keep that in mind next time I guess…

I followed Kirito back to the raid group and caught up with the guild. They looked at me, wondering where I was. I used one of the hand signals we have created recently for quick communication. With two fingers, I pointed upwards towards the trees, telling them that I just spoke with Mortifer. They all nodded and went back to marching.

It wasn't long before I saw an open field. At the center of the field was a gigantic pillar. The 60th floor's Labyrinth and path to the 61st. The base of the pillar has grown into the ground and formed a giant cave. From the looks of it, that's the enterance to the Labyrinth. Suddenly, the line stopped to a halt, making me bump into Zed by accident.

"I'm sorry." I apologized to him.

"It's fine, but why did the march stop?" he questioned.

We walked over to the side to check out what's going on at the front. I couldn't see much until the air began to shake from an extraordinarily deep resonance. A gush of wind blew past my face, coming right in front of me. I then heard the sound of a monster snarling coming from the cave.

When I looked upon the cave, I caught the glimpse of an eye. A colossal yellow reptilian eye that seemed to stare right into my soul. My body felt numb from looking at it. That's when I realized I actually got paralysis. A yellow icon with a thunderbolt appeared next to my health bar, indicating the effect.

"I-I can't move!" I called out to my friends, "Somehow I got paralysis."

Paradox rushed over right away and gave me a potion. She opened my mouth and I downed the contents of the vial. My paralysis became cured and the feeling of my limbs came back to me.

"How did you get paralyzed Violet?" Zed asked me.

"I don't know. But it happened right after I stared straight into his eyes." I answered him, "Maybe it has eyes that paralyze you when you look at it."

"We should inform the Clearing Guild." Zed climbed up on a nearby rock and as loud as he could, he shouted: "Don't look into its eyes! They will paralyze you!"

Everyone in the raid group stared at him. I heard a few whispers and conversations across the field. I spotted a few people start shaking in fear. Everyone then turned back to the monster inside the cave.

The yellow eye began shifting around inside the darkness of the cave until it emerged from it. The dinosaur revealed itself, its brown skin reptilian skin seemed to shine in the sun. It let out a huge deafening shriek that shook the very earth beneath us. The name Firebrand the Terra Destroyer appeared above the dinosaur's head along with four health bars.

"This guy is a Field Boss?!" Rizer exclaimed, "You've got to be kidding me!"

The boss took flight and began soaring through the sky. It circled around the giant pillar until it ran right into it, breaking of a chunk of rock. The boulder flew in the sky until the dragon caught it with its feet. It then roared as it began to fly to our direction.

"Everyone take cover!" I heard Asuna's voice yell from all the way at the front of the line.

The whole raid party screamed in terror as we scrambled to find places to hide in. Following my guild, we took cover behind an oddly shaped boulder. Although not necessarily big, it offered head protection which is where the attack is coming from.

Firebrand let our another roar, breathing out fire simultaneously. Without warning, a blazing rock crashed to the ground and exploded into fragments. The blazing hot fragments of rock landed everywhere. Unfortunately, Trish got hit by the debris and got burned really badly.

"Ah!" she screamed.

Her health dropped down to about sixty percent. Paradox and Cayonz made their way to her and began healing her burn. That one attack took down almost half of Trish's health, and it was only a fragment of the burning hot rock. I can't even imagine what it will be like to get hit directly by that thing.

"All tanks! Try to lure the dinosaur away from everyone else! Don't get hit by the rocks though!" Asuna shouted out commands from far away.

"Konno, let's go!" Rizer called out to him. They retrieved a few potions from Paradox before they went off along with the rest of the tanks.

Firebrand continued to endlessly rain feiry rocks upon us. It stayed like this for a good five minutes until the boss landed down on the ground with a bang. From the looks of it, the dragon was exhausted as its breathing seemed heavy.

"This is our chance to attack! All players with speed, move out but be cautious!"

"Violet, ViVi, let's go!" Zed called out to us.

"Yeah!" we both responded in unison.

The three of us left the group and charged onto the fallen dragon. Even though it was exhausted, the head of the dinosaur tried to chomp down on the clearers' heads, though it was all in vain.

Avoiding the dinosaur's head, we all began relentlessly attacking the monster. During that time of attacking, I looked around and noticed Kirito and Asuna admist the fight. We dealt a good amount of damage; almost a whole bar of its health. We backed away and ran back to our original hiding spot.

"How are you guys doing over here?" I asked Aqua and Trish.

"We're running around the battlefield handing out potions to everyone who needs them." Aqua explained, "Cayonz is tending anybody who is seriously wounded. We're so lucky to have so many potions."

Our conversation was cut short when a meteor landed right next to us. Although it didn't hit any one of us directly, a myriad of fragments flew to our direction. I was sure that we were dead when a tall man suddenly stood in front of us.

The fiery fragments bounced off of the guy and he grunted in pain. I observed his health drop down to the red zone. When the guy turned around to look at us, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was Agil.

"Agil!" I cried out to him.

"Violet? Is that you? Long time no see…" he laughed out.

He fell to the ground, dropping his huge battleaxe. I quickly pulled out a Heal Crystal and pointed it towards Agil.

"Heal!"

The pink crystal broke apart and Agil's health skyrocketed back up. He turned around and smiled at me. He gave me a thumbs up before leaving to go back to the tank squad.

"Violet, who was that?" Zed questioned.

"An old friend…"

 **Half an hour later**

This is bad. We've run out of potions. Cayonz is getting tired from having to move around everywhere. Now he's just focused on tending us. Konno is unable to tank anymore hits as he has dropped into the orange zone. Rizer is still above half, but the number of tanks we have are dwindling.

The boss is at its final bar of health, and its attack pattern seems to have changed. Instead of raining down fiery rocks, it has just decided to set the earth itself ablaze. Thankfully, nobody has died yet.

"It's coming this way!" Paradox shouted out.

We all scrambled to try to get out of the dinosaur's path. I barely escaped the inferno that the monster left behind. The scorched rock and ground began melting from the heat. I grew even more exhausted since the flames heated up my body so much.

Eventually we got everyone in our group healed up. We continued to hide from the pterodactyl until we heard shouting nearby. I looked over to see what it was to spot two Knights of the Blood Oath members shouting at their leader Asuna, who seems to be frozen still. Did she look into the eys of the dinosaur by accident?

Before I could react, the dragon turned around and got ready for another strafe run. Only this time, it is heading straight for Asuna. Her guild comrades began dragging her body to safety, but the dragon kept changing its course to match theirs.

"Get out of there!" Zed yelled desparately.

We began moving towards their direction, frantically trying to get to their aid. But then, the unthinkable happened. The two members who were right next to Asuna abandoned her. Her frozen body stood perfectly still in front of the dragon's path. I saw the dragon's mouth begin glowing with flames when another shocking event occurred.

Konno ran towards Asuna and pushed her with all his might. She landed a few meters away from Konno, but safe from the dragon's trajectory. Unfortunately, Konno had to jump in order to reach her and fully push her with all his might, and now he's fallen to the ground with his feet tangled in the straps of his shield.

"Konno!" Zed screamed his name as the dragon began to open its mouth.

Suddenly, a brilliant beam of light emitted from the top of the jungle treetops and targeted the flying monster. The bright white light hit the monster's eyes spot on, blinding it completely. The monster thrashed around in pain and crash landed onto the ground. The beam of light then receded back into where it came from.

"Thank you Mortifer…" I whispered to myself quietly.

"Everyone, attack now!" Asuna yelled, now out of her paralysis.

All of us, including Paradox, Cayonz, Trish and Aqua, joined in on the final attack. Not wasting a single single, I cut down the monster, using Sword Skill after Sword Skill. Finally, Firebrand's health bar emptied out and the monster disappeared into dust.

After a moment of silence, the "Congratulations" notification popped up as well as the loot we earned from the fight. Everyone began cheering over our victory. As for myself, I looked over to the treetops of the jungle and managed to spot a single figure standing atop the tallest tree.

"I need to thank him later." Konno panted right next to me, "He just saved my butt right there."

"Hey you!" a recognizable female voice called out. I turned to see Asuna smiling at us, "Thank you for saving me there. I would've died if it weren't for you."

"Oh it was nothing…" Konno responded nervously, his face turning slightly red. Asuna then turned around to face the two Knights of the Blood Oath members who abandoned her to die.

"As for you guys…" the tone of her voice changed completely. It went from happy and sincere, to completely infuriated, "I'm reporting this to the commander. If you guys are lucky, all you will get is a demotion, though I wish I can just throw you into Black Iron Prison."

The two members gulped and bowed to Asuna.

"We're so sorry Asuna-sama!" they cried.

"Get out of my sight."

The two members walked away in shame. The crowd parted for them but everyone gave them angry looks. What they have done is unforgivable, though I wish they aren't punished that harshly for it.

"She's hot but she's scary…" Konno gossiped to Zed who nodded his head. Paradox punched Zed in the arm right away after she saw him nod his head.

"Did you say something about me?" Asuna turned around to ask Zed and Konno.

"Oh nothing!" Zed lied, "We're just wondering if we're good enough to join the Clearing Group."

"Are you kidding me? Of course!" Asuna beamed, "I can't just simply turn down the guild who saved my life, especially when they performed remarkably well. Without Cayonz and Paradox, we couldn't have gone through this battle without a casualty. Don't ya'll agree?"

Asuna turned towards the clearers and directed the question towards them. They all smiled and began cheering. My mind couldn't process it at all. We're getting praised for our skills.

"That settles it." Asuna giggled, "I introduce you the new addition to the Front Lines, the Reapers of Sorrow!"

 **(Mortifer)**

 **Later that day, 60** **th** **floor main settlement**

From afternoon to night, the clearers partied and celebrated their victory, as well as my guild's inauguration to the Front Lines. They've grown considerably popular in less than a day. Zed has been getting most of the praise since we informed them that he is the "leader".

Rizer is also getting some praise for being a formidable vanguard even without using a shield. Konno especially attracted attention since he saved Asuna from Firebrand the Terra Destroyer. I was fortunate enough to be able to aim my sword's light at such a great distance away since it is hard to see my beam when I point it at the blue sky.

Information about the two players of the KoB who abandoned Asuna hasn't arrived yet, but I'm sure it isn't going to be nice, considering their leader and sub-leader are some very serious people.

Earlier I spotted my brother, Kirito. He conversed with Asuna and my guild before leaving an hour or so after the party started. Due to my curiosity, I tracked him down and found his home in the outskirts of Algade. I stopped following him once he entered his home, as the place doesn't have any windows for me to look through.

Looking at my guild now, I see that they have found their place in this game. They can actually put their skills to good use if they stay here, especially Paradox and Cayonz since we only need them during intense farming sessions. Since they will be busy for the most part, I guess I should find myself something to do. Something productive that isn't stalking people or watching others fight battles.

I opened my menu to check out my Skills. Of all of my skills, Darkness Blade, One-Handed Straight, Acrobatics, and Sprint are the only ones I have maxed out completely that will help me in combat. Hiding, Straining, and Searching were automatically maxed out due to Darkness Blade, but those are pretty much useless if I'm fighting.

There's still much more I can learn in this game. I'm only level eighty-seven and still have plenty of skills to max out. I know my guild will be able to take care of themselves as long as they follow Zed's commands, so I might as well take this time to train myself, even just a little bit. First, I'm going to have to leave a note…

/

/

/

I'm terrible at writing boss fights, aren't it? First of all, who wants to write about a bunch of players repeating the same process over and over to defeat a boss? Have you seen how boring boss battles in MMORPGs are, especially if you're not that into those type of games. Just get someone who plays an FPS like Call of Duty or CS:GO and tell them to watch an hour-long championship game of a MOBA like League of Legends or DOTA. See how that works. Anyways, enough with this mini-rant. Hope you guys are enjoying the story. Bye now.


	24. Chapter 23: The Front Lines

**The next day, 50** **th** **floor Algade**

Now that my guild has joined the Front Lines, we are taking some serious precautions. We've moved a majority of our equipment in this rental house of ours since this will be our makeshift base during our time in the Front Lines. At first everyone protested against our relocation, but once I explained to them my reasons, they obliged.

Now that they're at the Front Lines, they will be forced to add people to their friends list. Asuna will definitely add Violet for sure since they are close friends, and everyone else will be receiving friend requests from other random people. This exact social system is the key to my demise.

By becoming a friend with someone, they are able to locate them on the map, check if they are alive or dead, and message them directly. If they find out that I'm part of the Reapers of Sorrow then they will use my friends' location in order to find me. If we move locations, they would never expect our main base to be located at the 24th floor.

In fact, I've determined that the 24th floor is the most isolated part of Aincrad, since the floor is mainly covered in water and has little to no space. I've confirmed this with Argo when I told her of my plans if everything goes badly. In case our Island ever gets found, she's found a back-up place somewhere in the 1st floor. And if that goes wrong, the next location is the Edge of the World, which I really hope we don't have to go to. I don't want to remember what happened in the past. Just remembering the Night of the Forest made me attack Zed.

Of course, this will only happen if I ever get caught and somehow escape, which to me is highly unlikely. Sooner or later, I will have to face death. For now, though, I will keep living for the sake of my friends.

 **(Violet)**

 **June 2024, a month later, 63** **rd** **Floor Field Boss meeting**

We've been in the Front Lines for a month now. Our reputation is evergrowing all while we are honing our skills. From the help of many clearers, Paradox has managed to create even stronger potions and in a great amount too. She's even taken apprentices since she is kind enough to do so.

Cayonz doesn't get as much attention, but everyone is wary of how important he is during fights. Although they are not much of fighters, Aqua and Trish has also gained a reputation. They act as the messengers during fights since the two are swift and nimble, able to send information to other guilds. Other than that, Trish is simply there to entertain everyone with music during any parties or meetings.

The most impressive of all however is Rizer. According to Asuna, Kirito and a few other clearers, Rizer has so far been the most reliable tank. His reputation has earned him the respect of the Knights of the Blood Oath. It was only a few days ago when he visited the KoB headquarters to have a meeting with The Paladin himself, the supposedly strongest player inside the game.

It was only yesterday too when the so-called Rizer Squad formed, a team of experienced tanks under the command of Rizer. Composed of Konno, Agil, a Divine Dragon Alliance member named Schmitt, and a few others. What's shocking about it, is that Schmitt is the leader of the DDA's defensive force, yet he still serves under Rizer, though Rizer treats him as an equal rather than a foot soldier.

Of course Zed, ViVi and I have had our own fair share of reputation. We are the main damage dealers of our guild and our teamwork together is outstanding. A fellow clearer named Klein who leads the six-player guild Fuurinkazan has also praised our teamwork despite the fact that we took their place as the strongest smaller guild in the Front Lines.

Although we've had many good memories here already, there are bad ones. As we keep fighting to clear the game, the monsters' attack algorithm is getting even more complex. Everyone in the guild has now seen the death of someone. Paradox and Cayonz take it hard, especially in times where they could have saved the person if they could only get to them faster.

I wanted to ask Mortifer about how to cope with these memories whenever he's around, but then I realized that he can't help with that at all since he is forced to remember all of it. He has to deal with those memories. Surely those Voices in his head will come out if I talk about it, and that won't do either of us any good.

Nonethless, I need to focus on the matter at hand right now. We're having a field boss meeting so we can strategize on how to take down this current floor's boss. And as everyone expected, Kirito and Asuna are having another arguement. According to Agil, the two of them have always been like this ever since Asuna became part of the Knights of the Blood Oath. Kirito has stated that they are friends, but just don't understand each other when it comes to boss fights.

Asuna focuses on the plan with the least amount of deaths while Kirito usually focuses on the easier and quicker ways. Of course Kirito cares about protecting everyone, but the two still have disagreements. I heard that one point, the arguement became so intense that Kirito and Asuna dueled to see if a strategy will go into effect. In the end, Kirito won the battle and apparently he did so impressively. I guess skilled swordsmen runs in Mortifer's family.

"I told you this already Kirito, luring the boss towards the NPCs is the only way." Asuna roared at him, "This isn't like the GeoCrawler where we have a lullaby to put it to sleep. This is our only choice whether you like it or not. We will first find the location of the boss without triggering aggro, then three of our fastest runners will lure the boss into the village."

"This is dumb. If we're really going to stick with this plan, then I'm not participating in this raid." Kirito deckared, shocking everyone in the room.

"If you do that, there will be a chance for you to be kicked out of the Front Lines." Asuna informed the stubborn swordsman, "You'll be excluded from any more boss raids no matter how hard you try to get in one."

"As if I care about that." Kirito scoffed. He began walking towards the exit of the room but I decided to confront him.

I grabbed his arm and dragged him to a less crowded area inside the room. I then turned to look him in his eyes, noticing that they were the same as Mortifer's. Now, what should I say to him if he's being this stubborn?

"What do you want Violet?" Kirito asked me in an irritated tone.

"I'm just trying to talk some sense into you Kirito-kun." I told him, "Although the plan of using NPCs as bait will most definitely leave a bad taste in my mouth, it is the only way right now. Just this once, can you agree with Asuna in a plan that you do not like?"

He looked at me in the eyes, and then looked towards the ground. He is definitely thinking about my words, though I'm not sure if he will listen to them or not. He then looked back at me and asked me a question.

"Tell me, what became of my brother, Mortifer?"

The question caught me off guard because of how ridiculous my mind processed it to be. I remembered when we first met each other, where he put Mortifer against the wall due to hatred, and when I met him again for the first time in a while. He didn't ask about Mortifer that one time, even though I'm sure he noticed his absence. And just like what I did to Asuna, I must lie now.

"We called off the search that we started. He died long ago at the beginning of last year's May. We confirmed it through the Monument of Life at the Starting City."

"Oh… I see then…" Kirito responded with a normal voice, although his eyes seemed sympathetic, "I know he was close to you, so I'm sorry about that. Though I can't truly understand your loss since he was never that close with me."

The truth behind his words could be confirmed with his eyes and face. They were both completely devoided from any emotion, like a senile man. It makes me wonder how Mortifer was truly like before he got trapped in this death game.

"Because you're a friend, I'll listen to your request." Kirito spoke, "I'll follow Asuna's plan this time, but if we get into another disagreement… I shouldn't even have to explain to you anymore, do I?"

I shook my head in response. He acknowledged this and started walking back to where everyone was at. He pushed his way past the crowd and found himself back at his own spot at the conference table.

"That guy is so annoying sometimes…" A voice spoke next to me. I turned to see Zed leaning against the wall, picking his teeth dangerously with a dagger, "He reminds me of Mortifer a bit. His arguments with the Flash don't get us anywhere."

"You used to argue with Mortifer all the time, and those didn't get us anywhere either." I told him with a smile.

"Well at least you're there to break it up. And I guess I should thank you on behalf of everyone for getting Kirito to agree. He may not seem like it, but I know that he is a big part of the Front Lines. If Mortifer wasn't a criminal, I wonder what the Front Lines would be like now…"

"Yeah… I wonder too…"

If Mortifer were in the Front Lines, everything would change. His strength will act like a beacon of hope for all players. He's informed me that he has battled monsters that he shouldn't even be able to defeat. Monsters dozens of levels higher than he is. The chances of us clearing the game would go up tenfold because of him alone. That is how strong I think he is and how much he will impact this game.

"Violet-chan!" a voice called out for me. I turned to see Asuna, running towards me, waving her hand, "Violet, I need to ask something of you."

"Sure Asuna-san, what is it?"

"Well as I said, the plan is to get three players to lure the boss to the village. We need a speedy player who is willing to be bait. And from what I've seen, you're the quickest person in your guild. Will you be one of the three?"

The question caught me completely offguard, and so did Zed. Asuna wants me to act as bait? I've seen what the field boss is capable of, and I'm not fond of it. However, Asuna is a good friend of mine, so I can't turn her down. Plus, she is right. Excluding Mortifer, I am by far the swiftest person in the guild.

"Sure, why not? I think I can handle it." I informed Asuna, who smiled happily.

"Oh great! Honestly, I didn't want to have to ask you to do the job since its so dangerous." Asuna revealed, "You're my friend and I don't want to see you get hurt, but unfortunately I was left with no other options."

"It's fine Asuna. You can trust me that I will do the job, and do it without any trouble." I told her that with a confident smile, though on the inside, I am not fully confident.

"Mortifer would not want you to do something like this." Zed whispered quietly into my ear, "If something goes wrong and something happens to you…"

"I know Zed…" I whispered back to him.

Again, I wasn't so sure. Mortifer cares about all of us tremendously, especially for me. When he hurt me on accident while he still had amnesia, it was enough to make him remember everything. Though I do not want to remember it, when Mortifer saw Paradox during the Night of the Forest, he reacted by killing those who had abused her. If I die now… Gods… I don't even want to imagine how much pain I would bring to Mortifer.

"You guys should get some rest then. The boss raid will be tomorrow." Asuna informed us, "I really hope we win in this attempt."

 **Later that day, Algade**

Everyone gathered around the dinner table as I finished setting up the food. They all sat down and began digging into the food while I took off my cooking apron and gloves. I sat back down with them and began eating as well.

"Mortifer hasn't returned from his session, so make sure to leave even a little bit of food." I told everyone as I munched down on the steak I had cooked.

"His farming sessions are getting longer and longer, or is it because he's trying to make up for the time he lost while he watched us do the boss raids?" Aqua questioned.

"Just leave him be. We have other things to focus on, like the field boss thing tomorrow." Zed stated.

"Truthfully, I'm not excited about it." ViVi mumbled, "We're lucky enough to get away with no deaths, but we've had so many close calls with that thing. The first time we encountered it everyone ran for their life."

"That's because we didn't expect it to be there. It's so well camouflaged that if we didn't have Aqua to warn us about it, we would've died." Paradox praised the girl.

"We didn't expect it during the second time either. It's a wandering boss after all." ViVi argued back, "Also, I heard this from a bunch of the clearers. Violet, are you really going to be one of the three that will act as bait for the boss?"

"Asuna asked me to do it, and I couldn't turn her down." I told everyone, "Judging from our past experiences with The Unseen Stinger, I know I can outrun that thing. If we happen to find it at the spot closest to the village, then it will be like a walk through the park for me."

"Have you even consulted with Mortifer about this?" Rizer asked me.

I was about to answer when I heard the sound of two surfaces grinding against each other at the other side of the table. Everyone looked over there and made worried expressions. A vase of flowers blocked my view so I had to get up from my chair. I wish I hadn't when I saw Mortifer sitting at the other end of the table, polishing his Sword of Darkness with a smooth rock.

"M-Mortifer. Hey… D-Dinner is ready." I stuttered, utterly terrified of how Mortifer will react.

Although he asks us to keep secrets for him, keeping secrets from him is a big no-no, and everyone knows that. Although it seems unfair, we all know it is for the sake of everyone. He can resolve most of our problems that put us in a hot spot. He cares deeply about our lives and that's why secrets are what tie us together.

Almost two weeks ago, Zed had secretly taken Mortifer's Sword of Light from the chest in his room. He told all of us about his deed and the majority of us scolded him for even attempting such a thing. It wasn't even ten minutes until Mortifer found out by himself and humiliated Zed by trapping him inside a barrel and rolled him down a hill.

"Busted." ViVi whispered to Rizer, forcing me to hit him hard on the head, "Hey! You didn't have to do it so hard!"

"Shut up ViVi." Mortifer spoke in a serious tone, effectively silencing my cousin.

He continued polishing his sword with the stone, occasionally making sparks fly out from it. The darkness flowing from the blade engulfed Mortifer's hands as well as the rock. The shadowy tendrils emitting from the blade started spreading around, as if it were trying to reach us. However, they stopped once Mortifer sheathed his sword.

"Someone, pass me the steak." Mortifer commanded as he stashed the stone into his pocket.

Cayonz took the plate of steak in front of him and handed it over to Mortifer. He took the biggest steak he could find and set it down on his own plate. He began eating casually but the serious expression in his face lingered.

"This field boss raid of yours…" Mortifer began, "When does it happen?"

"Well, the raid group will meet up at noon, then head to the field boss an hour after that." Zed explained.

"I see then…" Mortifer remarked. He finished the last of his steak in one bite then wiped his face with a napkin, "Well then I wish you guys good luck on it."

He stood up from his chair and took his plate with him. He brought it to the kitchen and set it down on the sink for me to wash. He was about to leave the room to go upstairs but I stopped him.

"Mortifer!" I called out to him, making him stop in his tracks, "Are you going to intervene in the fight?"

There was a long pause before Mortifer turned around to look at me. In the darkness, I couldn't see his eyes very well, but I could tell there's something mischevious in them.

"Intervene? No, of course not."

 **The next day, 63** **rd** **floor**

When I woke up in the morning, Mortifer was already gone, which concerned me. Usually he is last to wake up since he is always last to go to sleep, but now is not the case. I've asked everyone where he is but nobody knows. Zed said that he woke up a bit early since he heard noises outside the house, making him assume that Mortifer left earlier.

Now we're just getting ready for the boss raid. We're in the village that I'm supposed to lure the boss into so it can kill the NPCs, but for some reason, something felt off. Usually the raid group would gather at the plaza of the settlement since it has the most open space, but the plaza was absent of any players. Only the NPCs who walk aimlessly around the city everyday were present.

"Where is everyone?" Zed questioned, "Did we get here late or something?"

"Impossible. Someone would've notified us if the boss raid will be at a different time. Nobody sent us anything." I pointed out.

"Did they already leave?" Rizer mumbled.

"Again not possible. They definitely would've waited for us since we are an important part of the Front Lines. They must be somewhere else."

"Hey guys," Aqua called out to us, "They're over there! By the gate!"

Aqua pointed towards the main gate of the settlement. The same gate we are using to bring the boss inside the town. Sure enough, as I focused my vision on the gate, I could see many players gathered there despite the crowded space. Just then someone bumped into me hard.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry." The person apologized, "Oh wait, you guys are the Reapers of Sorrow! Please forgive me!"

The person got on their hands and knees right and repeatedly kept apologizing. We all looked at each other, not knowing what to do. This guy must be a fan of our guild.

"Will you tell us what's going on over there?" I asked the fanboy.

"Oh you didn't hear? I would love to explain it to you, but its better if I just show it." The man suggested, "Here follow me!"

The man began running off, motioning us to follow him. We obliged since we were originally going to go to the crowd anyway. When we reached the crowd, we began pushing past using our title as a Reaper as a way to get through without trouble. When we saw what all the commotion was about, I couldn't believe my eyes.

In the ground right in front of us, lied a giant scorpion. The name The Unseen Stinger hovered above it. It took me a moment to realize that this was the field boss we were heading to kill.

The boss looked severely weakened and it was turned over. Its tail stinger was gone and scorpion goo leaked out of the open tail end. The three health bars it had is now reduced to a bare minimum. One attack would kill the boss, no matter how weak the attack itself was. Two long spears impaled its arms, going all the way through the skeleton and to the ground, preventing movement.

"What… What in the world happened here?" Zed said in disbelief, "Who did this?"

"It was a lone player." A familiar voice spoke.

I turned around to see a boy dressed in full black, carrying a black sword on his back. Sure enough, it was Kirito, who had his arms crossed and observed the field boss carefully. He paced around the boss, admiring the almost dead scorpion with curiosity.

"When I got here, I heard noises coming from outside the town." Kirito began to explain, "When I opened the gate to take a peek, I saw this guy just lying there. I caught glimpse of a person with a black cloak on. His sword was as black as the night and it also emitted some weird fog. I've never seen such a thing before."

The moment Kirito talked about the black sword that emitted a weird fog, I already knew who caused this mess. In fact, there could only be one person who can do something like this, and it's Mortifer. Of all the people I know, he is the only one fast enough, strong enough, and smart enough to take down this boss. But what I couldn't believe is how he managed to do it solo.

I began searching around the area, looking to see if I could find Mortifer anywhere near here. I scanned the rooftops, dark alleys, any place that would seem like a place he would hide in. Everyone else in the guild also started searching, but found absolutely nothing.

"That guy… First he takes on twenty Laughing Coffin members… Now he soloes a field boss?" Zed exclaimed.

"What was that?" Kirito asked Zed.

"Oh nothing! It was nothing!" Zed quickly put in, "I was just in disbelief since we didn't have to do this boss raid."

"Yes, I'm surprised as well. Whoever did this should really join the Front Lines." Kirito stated, "Now, we should really kill this thing before it starts regenerating anymore health."

Just then, the boss suddenly let out an ear-splitting shriek before dying. Its body disappeared, turning to dust. The two spears that were in the scorpion fell to the ground along with a small dagger that I hadn't noticed earlier.

A notification popped up on my screen, saying that I have defeated The Unseen Stinger. I got a decent amount of gold along with experience even though I did absolutely nothing to the boss. All I did was go near it and look at it.

"Hey, hey, hey!" someone in the crowd yelled, "Who killed the boss and took the Last Attack Bonus?"

Nobody in the crowd answered. In fact, nobody was even close enough to touch the boss when it happened. If someone had thrown a weapon then surely a few people would see, but that isn't the case. Just then, Paradox approached the fallen weapons and picked up the small dagger.

"This was inside the boss the whole time. It's been tipped with a long-lasting poison. That must be the reason why the boss died so suddenly." Paradox explained to everyone, "The person who fought the boss must've left it here, knowing that it would die at some point."

"Why didn't they just finish it off? If it weren't for us being close by, the boss would definitely have regenerated itself back to full health. So stupid of them." Kirito spouted.

Indeed, what Mortifer did was stupid. It was stupid enough to go for the boss solo, but to leave the boss to die by poison? How could he have calculated that so precisely to know that it would die now?

"Hey you guys!" a distant voice called out from outside of town.

The whole crowd looked over to the distance, where the Labyrinth was located. A person wearing a green cloak waved his arms as they ran towards us. When he finally reached us, he bent down in exhaustion, trying to recover his breath.

"The Labyrinth has been opened. I saw the barrier covering the door disappear in a flash of white. We can enter it now!"

Hearing the good news, everyone raised their hands and cheered. We had a mini-celebration even though we are still slightly confused on what happened to the boss. I however am sure that Mortifer took it down. He may have done it when he found out I would be acting as bait for the boss. He seems to care more about my safety rather than his own.

"I guess we can go explore the Labyrinth now, since we have nothing else to do the whole day." I told my guildmates, who all nodded in agreement.

Together as one, we started walking the path that leads to this floor's Labyrinth. Sure enough, the barrier that blocked the entrance to the floor Labyrinth is now gone and players are storming inside there. All that's in my mind now is what is Mortifer doing right now.

 **(Mortifer)**

 **24** **th** **floor The Island**

That was a close call. In fact, that may have been a bit too close. Although I know that I am strong enough to defeat it without dying, the fact that I have to keep my health above half is a struggle, especially when that scorpion just won't stop attacking.

I wanted to leave the scorpion to its death instead of killing it right away for many reasons. Although my true purpose was to protect Violet, helping the Front Lines is also one of my reasons. Getting my friends out of this game is my number one priority, and helping the Front Lines will help me achieve that. I am willing to take all the opportunities I can get that will let me help them.

Anyways, the Last Attack Bonus I received from the boss is decent. The weapon is called Scorpion Shredder and it is a weapon that is similar to brassknuckles, but it seems to be way more dangerous. On each knuckle were pointed spikes, curved upwards with a few serrations. From the looks of it, not only will it pierce the body, it can even rip off chunks of flesh due to the curvature of the spikes.

I equipped the rather dangerous weapon and tried to get accustomed with the feel of it. It seemed to be made of chitin with the strap being made of leather. I tested its durability by punching a rock. At first I thought my hand would just bounce off and leave maybe a small mark, but the rock shattered into pieces.

I backed away in surprise. Breaking rocks is easy for me, but I would typically use Embracer to do so. That punch shattered it completely without using the Martial Arts skill. I smiled as I observed the weapon even closer. This will surely help me improve my Martial Arts skill.

I left the weapon on my hand and began traveling home. That boss fight has taken a toll on me, and I'm pretty sure the farming spots are almost empty now. Tomorrow they should respawn, then I can go back to farming.

 **August 2024, 50** **th** **floor Algade**

I've played many games in my life, got addicted to them, then stopped. All I've been doing for the past two months is constant farming, and now I'm just getting bored. It's the only thing I can do that will entertain me. It would be better if I could join the Front Lines, but of course that is a death sentence for me. And here I thought this world couldn't possibly more boring than the one I came from.

Over the past two months I've gone from level eighty-seven to level ninety-five, all because of my continuous farming. I've finally completed Martial Arts, and my Dual Blades is getting there. Along with that, I've learned how to use Whips and Two-Handed Sword from Cayonz and Rizer respectively, though I'm not using a Skill Slot for Whips since I don't find it entirely useful.

Everyone in the guild has gotten considerably stronger as well. Trish and Aqua can actually fight with their daggers now since they've improved, although they are more impactful as messengers and supply runners. The so-called Rizer Squad is still as popular as ever. Zed has become some sort of ladiesman to the girls of Aincrad, but he is still loyal to Paradox. ViVi has greatly improved in his combat skills, but he's also earned a reputation as a loud mouth. Even our back-up nickname for him, Blabbermouth, has become commonly used in the Front Lines.

Today, all the Reapers are taking a day-off. We're all in our rental home in Algade, just relaxing. Everyone is tired from fighting so much, and it seems everyone is working harder now. Since the 67th floor, apparently nobody has died in a boss fight. Right now they are in the 70th floor, and still going at it strong. The whole Front Lines deserves an award for doing this well.

"So you guys found the boss room yesterday, is that right?" I asked them.

"Yeah, but Asuna told us something weird yesterday before we left to go home." Violet put in.

"Really? What did she tell you guys?"

"The Flash said that we're not going to explore the Labyrinth for the next few days." Zed spoke, "She said that we're going to deal with something before we continue to clear the game."

"Did she tell you guys what you're going to deal with?" I asked them, curious about this problem they're having.

"She hasn't told us yet. In fact, she said she will message us the details tonight."

"Speak of the devil, she just messaged me." Violet quickly put in, wiping her dirty hands and face with a napkin. She tinkered with her menu and opened up the message, "It's even about that thing we have to do before continuing our clearing of the game."

"Well go on just tell us already!" ViVi rushed her, impatient and excited for the news that we just received.

Before she told us, Violet began reading the message to herself. I began to worry when her eyes grew wide in what seems like fear. Her hand began trembling, making everyone around the table shift in their seats, anxious and worried about what Asuna has just sent us.

"Violet…" I calm asked her, "What does the message say?"

"Tomorrow, a group of fifty select players from the Front Lines will form a coalition to take down a certain group." She explained, her voice filled with fear, "Rizer, Zed and I have been invited to take part in this coalition. The group that we are hunting down… is Laughing Coffin."


	25. Chapter 24: Demise of Laughing Coffin

**(Violet)**

 **The next day, 3** **rd** **floor Zumfut**

Last night became chaos when I revealed the news to everyone. Mortifer was first to react by utterly destroying the dining table. We had to restrain him as well as use a poison that Paradox has just created recently that would put him to sleep. Mortifer should be awake by now, but he's already too late in terms of stopping us.

The coalition is being led by Asuna, and she's stated that nobody is to leave the room or the group until the job is done. If we do that, apparently the consequences are severe. Even so, this is my one and only chance to help Mortifer get rid of his dark past, so there's no way I'm going to run away now.

Though that resolve still sin't helping my anxiety. This raid isn't just any normal raid. It is a raid against players who are all murderers. Mortifer has already stated that if we show them mercy, they will kill us, and I don't doubt him. Even so, the plan is to ambush Laughing Coffin and put them behind bars.

This raid would also be harder than a normal boss one too. For one, they are players, not NPCs. That means they can actually think up of strategies, unlike NPC bosses and monsters that use an attack algorithm. At the same time, we're trying to use stealth and ambush them rather than a straight up fight. I find it slightly ridiculous to fight assassins with abilities they themselves have basically mastered already.

If we had ten Mortifers, this would be a walk through the park because of his superhuman senses and strength. Unfortunately, the closest we have to Mortifer here is Kirito. Although he is strong, I don't think he can even compare up to his Nii. Either way, he is also worried about the outcome of this raid. I can see it just by looking into his eyes. They reminded me of Mortifer's eyes whenever he is trying to come up with a decision on something important.

"The meeting will now begin." Asuna shouted out to everyone in the room, "Remember, whatever happens in this room, stays in this room. Nobody is to speak a word about it, okay?""

Everyone in the room nodded their heads in agreement. Asuna then pointed at a poster with multiple names and a few pictures posted on it. Of the numerous number of names on there, I recognized three of them. Those three also happened to have the faces of the players. PoH, Johnny Black, and XaXa.

"Red-Eyed XaXa… That's Mortifer's buddy, right?" Zed whispered to me. I replied with a nervous nod.

"As some of you may know, these three players up here are Laughing Coffin's top murderers." Asuna began explaining to all of us, "PoH, is the leader. You can distinguish him easily by a blue mark across his face as well as his weapon called Mate Chopper, which resembles that of a butcher knife. For now, he will be our main objective in this raid, though we still haven't really decided if we can just kill him or capture him alive."

During our training to fight against Laughing Coffin, Mortifer said that Mate Chopper has a special ability that ignores the armor of those he attacks. That means that no matter how thick your armor is, getting hit directly by a dagger that powerful is like embracing death itself, especially if PoH happens to use a Sword Skill to empower his attacks.

"These two other members are his right-hand men." Asuna continued explaining, "XaXa and Johnny Black. According to witnesses and spies, XaXa is an estoc master, capable of maneuvering attacks and land them with great accuracy. Black is also known as The Poison-Dagger, as he is a user of weapons dipped in potent poison. If their weapons give off a weird aura or looks weird, try your best not to get hit as they may be dipped in the poison."

First a weapon that ignores all armor, and now there's a master estoc user who has a buddy that uses powerful poisons? My anxiety is only building up even further, and there's nothing that can help to bring it down. In the back of my head, I'm wishing that we didn't poison Mortifer so I can hug him or have him deal with Laughing Coffin. Well, that is if he can survive a fight from that many members.

The thing about an estoc, is that it isn't used as a slashing weapon like my rapier or Zed's sword. It has an immensely sharp point that is used to pierce through chain mail armor, or plated armor. It is insanely hard to block or parry something that small. When Mortifer fought XaXa long ago, I saw his estoc skills with my own eyes. Even though Mortifer triumphed over XaXa utterly, I don't think I can stand a chance against him. He is after all the lieutenant of Laughing Coffin.

Furthermore, everyone in our guild has already experienced what it is like to be poisoned thanks to Paradox. Although we have never used an actual poison on each other, we've used paralysis poisons multiple times in order to test them out for Paradox. On one such case, Rizer couldn't even move for a good five minutes. The only time we use lethal poison on our weapons is during boss fights or farming sessions. If this Johnny Black guy uses those poisons on us, I don't know how long we will have until our avatars perish.

A vague memory of the time when I first met Mortifer went rampant in my head. The two of us know the fear of dying from poison, even though Mortifer himself wasn't poisoned at that time. I don't want to experience such a nerve-wracking thing ever again.

Asuna continued to read names off of the list. All of the members had a variety of different skills such as Whips, Claws, and even Flails. The most terrifying one I saw was a Battle Scythe, which is exactly what it sounds like. The one who wielded it however is unnamed. What surprised me though is that Asuna informed everyone that he is The Reaper of Laughing Coffin.

When she said this, murmurs filled the room, and my whole body went stiff. They think that guy is The Reaper? If they think he's The Reaper and not Mortifer, that could mean that he may have a chance. I looked to Rizer and Zed and they also seem to notice this miraculous opportunity. Then again, there are still some things we have to look out for.

We already told Asuna and Kirito that Mortifer is dead. If they happen to see Mortifer alive and well, they will grow suspicious, especially Kirito. If they see Mortifer's tattoos, then it's all over for him and for us as well. At the same time, maybe Laughing Coffin will reveal to them information about us and where Mortifer is hiding. This situation really is a dangerous one. This raid alone could spell death for all of us, and we can't abandon this mission too.

"At seven o' clock sharp, we will all rendezvous at the entrance of the Forest of Wavering Mist. Inside that forest is a large cave which is the supposed location of Laughing Coffin's base. We will enter using the dark of the night as cover, and attack."

Now I see why Mortifer did not want to go to that place. If we went into Laughing Coffin territory, it would prove very troublesome to Mortifer if he sees XaXa, and even more troublesome if they were to go after us. Why does everything have to be so complicated around Mortifer?

Either way, the raid is still four hours away. Zed, Rizer and I should take that time to get mentally prepared for the attack. Anything can happen during that raid. Anything…

Later that night, Forest of Wavering Mist

Ever since we entered this forest, I've already felt an evil lurking inside it. I could sense the bloodlust of so many players, yet I have no clue why. I informed Rizer and Zed about my suspicions, and they also feel that something isn't right. The only other person who is extremely cautious is Kirito, who is right beside us.

"The cave is up ahead!" someone shouted out in a low voice, "Let's move now!"

The slow and steady pace quickly turned into a sprint. Everyone ran for the entrance of the game, ignoring all forms of stealth. When we entered upon the dungeon, we climbed down two flights of stairs before reaching an open room.

The room was big enough to be an actual floor Labyrinth. It amazes me how secretive this place is, despite its insanely large size. Two whole boss monsters could fit inside here no problem. The only thing was, it was insanely quiet.

Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked around. The silence was nervewracking. I strained my ears to listen for sounds but couldn't hear a single thing except for the breathing of people around us. If there are at least fifty Laughing Coffin members, surely there would be some sound inside a cave this silent.

"Something's not right…" Zed murmured, "It's way too quiet in here…"

"I half-expected the silence. But indeed, it is way too quiet in here." Kirito concurred.

As a group, we all tip-toed towards the other side of the cave. The concentration of everyone doubled as soon as we entered the room. That is how tense the mood is right now. When the silence proved too much for me, I saw a flash of steel in the corner of my eye.

If it weren't for Zed's quick reaction time, I would've been wounded seriously. He deflected the oncoming blade with his own and held his arms out to protect me. Just then, from the top of a small cliff hidden in the dark, numerous players wearing black cloaks appeared.

"Ambush!" Zed shouted out from the top of his lungs.

It took mere seconds for the once silent cave to transform into a battlefield. I fought side-by-side with Zed and Rizer, who each had their own person to fight. In fact, everyone in the coalition had someone to fight, which is the troublesome part. And when I saw who I was forced to fight, I wanted to crawl into a hole and cower in fear.

"May death rain upon them…" XaXa recited as he began approaching me slowly. An evil smile formed in his face, making me even more terrified, "Isn't that what he says when he's about to kill someone?"

(Mortifer)

A few hours later, Algade

If it weren't for the system making these walls invincible, they would've been destroyed already. Hell, maybe this whole house might have come down already. Nobody has dare come near me, not even Paradox who is always there to calm me down. Trish has tried playing her soothing music, but unfortunately for all of us, it didn't help me.

"You just had to drug me didn't you Paradox…" I mumbled as I rested my head on the walls, "Just had to keep me from stopping them."

"Dude chillax!" ViVi encouraged, "Violet has Zed and Rizer with her. There's no way those guys would lose to people like them."

"Then do you mind explaining to me why they aren't here yet?" I snapped at him, "According to Zed, the raid starts at seven in the evening. It is now ten o' clock, and they haven't returned. A fight between players should not last that long, no matter what the circumstances are."

ViVi opened his mouth to talk but stopped right away. He didn't have anything to say which relieved me a little bit. I've heard enough words of stupidity coming from his mouth today. Right now, I'm just desperate to see everyone safe and sound.

As if God heard my pleas, the door to the house shook violently as someone rapped on the door. As a precaution, I put on my hood as well as my mask. I opened the door and got face-to-face with Zed, who had a shaking Violet in his arms. Rizer stood behind him, carrying all of their weapons.

"You better tell me everything that happened." I threatened Zed, whose face held a traumatized expression.

"Don't worry… I plan to tell you everything…" he mumbled quietly, "But first, you need to take care of Violet."

He handed me Violet, who ran into my arms and embraced me hard. I embraced her back and led her to the couch. I sat her down and felt her hands. They were terribly cold and couldn't stop shaking. I took a nearby blanket and wrapped it around her.

"I-I…" Violet tried to speak but her voice kept failing her, "I killed someone."

My mind went blank as I tried to process her words. She… Killed someone? The innocent and caring Violet, killed someone? No, that can't be right. There's just no way she would ever do that, even if it is Laughing Coffin. That is one of the reasons why I decided to use the Yami no Saji that one time they invaded the Island, so Violet and the rest wouldn't have to deal with the memory of killing someone.

"The raid was a success, but our strategy failed miserably." Rizer explained to us, his voice seemed extremely hurt.

I looked at his face and saw tears forming in his eyes. Again, something that I can't believe: Rizer crying. This will be the first time I've seen him cry, and now it really tells me what truly happened in there.

"It wasn't even a raid god damnit…" Zed shivered as he spoke, "It was just a bloody massacre… Twenty-one Laughing Coffin members died. Eleven clearers perished along with them. Violet and I caused two of those deaths from LC…"

"XaXa was there…" Violet murmured. Hearing XaXa's name, the Voices already began screaming but I decided to bear with the pain, "He fought me, but Zed, Rizer, and even Kirito protected me. You were right Mortifer… Those guys… If we haven't trained and participated in the Front Lines, we would've died for sure. Those guys… They're complete monsters."

"Did… Did you kill XaXa?" I asked her nervously.

Even if he is my enemy now, XaXa still has a place in my memories as well as my heart. A dark part of my heart that won't go away. The dark part of my heart that makes me who I am. If he goes away, that part of me will be lost forever.

"No… He and Johnny Black got captured and sent to Black Iron Prison." Violet explained to us, "I killed a guy, by the name of Mephisto. Everyone mistook him for you. Everyone thought that he was The Reaper."

"Wait… So you mean?" my voice faltered. If they think I'm dead, then do I need to hide any longer?

"No… XaXa told everyone that he isn't The Reaper." Violet continued, "He said that The Reaper left their guild to go into hiding. He didn't mention your name though, or anything about us having a relationship to you."

"So I still have to hide from my past sins…" I sighed out.

That was my only chance to be free, but XaXa ruined it for me. Though I guess I should be grateful that he still kept his promise to keep my identity a secret. But with them behind bars, anything could happen. An absurd plan built up in my head, but I shook it away for now and went back to caring for Violet.

"Someone had leaked information about the coalition against Laughing Coffin. That is why we got ambushed and that massacre occurred." Rizer informed us, "There's also one thing you may want to know Mortifer… Of all the people who got captured or killed, PoH was neither one of them."

"So you mean…" I looked down on the ground, knowing what the answer is and disappointed about it.

"Yeah… He escaped the raid. In fact, he's the only one who did. Every other member who survived got captured."

"That sneaky bastard. He probably didn't even participate in the fight and ran away before it occurred. Though I need full confirmation that PoH indeed ran away before the fight."

"And how are you expecting to get that?" Rizer questioned me

I was about to answer when I stopped to think. How would everyone react if I were to tell them of my absurd plan? If I were talking to the old me, he would've definitely protested against such a plan. It is a plan that would hand me my death on a silver platter if even one thing goes wrong. Plus, the only benefit I get from doing it is more information.

"Never mind that…" I quickly told him, "You guys don't just deserve rest, you need it. Oh and Zed…"

The Steel Tempest looked at me, his eyes filled with fear and body shaking. Just looking at his eyes tells me that he really did protect Violet from danger. I don't know how, but I one day I will repay him for I am in his debt.

"Thank you for protecting Violet. You have my gratitude…"

"No, you don't need to thank me." Zed shakily spoke, "But there was this one thing… XaXa gave me a message that I am supposed to deliver to you."

A message from XaXa? What could he possibly want to tell me at a time like this. Either way, I'm going to get more information off of him before its too late to do so.

"What's this message he told you to deliver?" I asked him.

"I don't really understand it myself, but he told me to tell you this: May death rain upon them."

Three days later, 1st Floor Starting City

How stupid and reckless can I get? Surely something bad will happen. In fact, the best case scenario right now is that I only get spotted. I don't even need to explain the worst case since its quite obvious what it is. Nonethless, I'm already here. If I back away now, I just wasted my time completely. Plus, I forgot to bring a Teleport Crystal

I didn't even take a second thought when I decided to use my Cloak of Darkness. Despite being the 1st floor, this place is the second-most populated city in Aincrad, only beaten by Algade due to The Army controlling the whole place. Even with it being so populated, not many normal players were in the streets. That's because they've been replaced by clearers of different guilds.

Two days ago, all Laughing Coffin members who were captured got sent to Black Iron Prison to stay there for the remainder of the game. There's no possible way to escape the prison unless someone else opens the door for you and lets you leave. Of course, my punishment is most likely execution rather than life in prison.

Using my Darkness Blade ability, I snuck past the groups of Army soldiers and the occasional KoB and DDA. I ran straight towards the giant black palace, taking the most straightforward route there. Even from where I'm at right now, I can see guards waiting outside the doors of the palace. Why does there have to be guards I'm the only person stupid enough to go have a conversation with a bunch of criminals?

A few minutes later

How many people have I knocked unconscious? Six to Eight? I'm for sure going to get spotted now. I just hope I can escape this maze of a building. I've been trying to find the prison but I never really explored Black Iron Palace when I used to work for The Army.

I've delved deeper and deeper into the palace, behind enemy lines until I spotted a black door with two players guarding it. One of them wore The Army's uniform and the other wore a white-and-red uniform. The Knights of the Blood Oath.

After that massacre at the Forest of Wavering Mist, I'm guessing they are keeping this place completely safe from danger, like a maximum security prison. Again, I'm the only one stupid enough to enter this place, and I'm doing it for the stupidest of reasons too.

Regardless, I need to find a way to get past these guys. Should I disguise as a criminal trying to break people out? No that won't work. This door seems to be the only way in, so I guess fighting them is the only way I can get past them and see if that black door leads to the prison.

I pulled out my sword and held it in my hands. The blade that I'm wielding now is neither the Sword of Light nor the Sword of Darkness. I stashed them into my chest back the Island since I didn't want to lose them. This blade is one of those throw-away blades Rizer forges to improve his Smithing skill.

Other than that, I kept Scorpion Shredder equipped since I don't mind losing this. I've already maxed out Martial Arts so my punches are already doing some ridiculuous damage. With my blade in hand, I turned the corner and revealed myself to the guards, who noticed me right away.

I began slowly approaching them, letting my sword grind against the stone walls of the palace. The two guards began talking to each other, making worried faces and pointing at me. They then drew their weapons and shields, standing their ground and not moving.

"Hey you!" the KoB guard yelled, "You are in a restricted area! Leave now or we will use force."

"No…" I responded to their threats, "It is you who has to leave."

The guy from The Army materialized a tiny trumpet like instrument and put it to his mouth. At that moment, I used my speed and threw a dagger at the horn while I charged the both of them. I incapacitated The Army member by knocking him off of his feet. I then started to fight the KoB member who proved a bit more troublesome.

Nonethless, I easily defeated the two guards and they are now sprawling on the ground. Being a Safe-Zone, nobody got hurt. That also means I can't kill them though I wasn't planning to anyway. Using Scorpion Stinger, I smashed their heads with a powerful jab, knocking them out. To make sure they won't wake up anytime soon, I smashed both of their heads together and threw them against the wall, head first of course.

Their bodies went limp and they both fell on the floor. I quickly dragged their bodies and tried to find a spot to hide them. I was in a rush since I don't want to get spotted. Instead of finding a spot, I found an opening in a window and threw them out. Thankfully, they both landed out of sight in a bush. I hurried back to the prison door and slowly opened it.

The palace's prison reeked of human stench. I could hear the coughing of many of the prisoners and the conversations of those who are cell mates. A few were already looking at me since they probably heard the fighting. Signs labeled each cell. Thieves, Blackmailers, Murderers, Sexual Harrassers and etc.

There were even cells for certain groups or guilds, which makes it easier for me to find Laughing Coffin. All of these cells were big enough to hold twenty people. I walked by one cell, labeled Titan's Hand. A single red-head girl and a couple of guys were inside. The girl made eye contact with me and charged at me. I backed away as she wildly thrashed from the inside of the cell.

"I'll have my revenge on you, Black Swordsman!" she angrily screamed.

"Black Swordsman? Kirito?" I asked, confused. Her livid eyes calmed down a little bit.

"You're not him?" she asked.

"No…" I declared. I didn't want to say anything else since I didn't want to reveal that Kirito and I are actually brothers, which explains our resemblance.

I left her and her guild back in the cell and continued on. So many cells filled with people. Some even had their cell for themselves, which I think means they commited some serious crimes. Soon I eventually got to the place where I wanted to get to.

Two jails parallel to each other had the signs labeled Laughing Coffin. I slowly approached both jail cells and drew the attention of some of the imprisoned members. I stood inbetween the cells and looked around. About thirty members are left and imprisoned. I killed four when I first encountered them. Six when I turned against them and protected my friends. One when I saved Argo, and sixteen when they came for Zed, ViVi, Konno, Aqua, and Trish. A total of twenty-seven Laughing Coffin members have perished by my hands. Some had to be friends with those who are in the cells right now.

I tried tapping on the jails' bars to try to get their attention but they seemed unfazed by it. I kept doing this for a good minute but they seem to be resilient when it comes to annoyingness, which surprises me a little bit.

I guess the only way to get their attention is to show them who I am. I removed my mask and began taking off my cloak, as well as my leather tunic. The cold air of the prison stung my bare skin. There was a part of my back that didn't feel any coldness however, and it seems to be where my tattoo is placed. I unwrapped the cloth on my right arm, revealing tha tattoo. I tapped on the bars once more and they all looked at me once again, though now, I've received their attention.

"It's you! You traitorous bastard!" one of the Laughing Coffin members closest to me shouted.

"It's The Reaper!" another one of them shouted.

It didn't take long before the whole prison became loud with sound. The other prisoners, even those who weren't Laughing Coffin began shouting from across the hall. If they become too loud then I'll be caught right away…

"The Reaper? Where!" A voice from down the hall exclaimed.

"Why are you here Mortifer…" a familiar voice spoke. I turned to the cell behind me, where I heard the voice come from. I turned to face XaXa.

"Can't visit the guild who gave me my memory back?" I pointed out. Even through his red, opaque eyes, I could tell XaXa was very angry with me. "You didn't really do a good job of making a name for yourself, Red-Eyed XaXa."

"Shut up." XaXa snapped. "Why are you here?"

"I told you why I am here. To see the guild who helped me get my memory back." I told them.

"We didn't tell them." Another familiar voice spoke. A figure emerged from the shadows. Johnny Black.

"Tell them what?"

"Who you are, where you are, and whom you are with." Johnny continued. "PoH still seems to be fond of you, so he commanded us not to tell them about your whereabouts. Though if you were the one that ratted us out, we will tell them everything. But we now know that it wasn't you who did so."

"It was a scout for the clearing group, wasn't it?" I asked him.

"Yes…" XaXa spoke. "One of our members failed to detect the guy following him. He died by the hands of the Black Swordsman."

My eyes widened in shock. Kirito killed someone? Why didn't they tell me about this? I sighed and looked around the jail cell for PoH. If I'm not mistaken, he isn't among these people, but it doesn't hurt to check.

"Where's PoH?" I wondered.

"Not here." XaXa declared.

"He bailed before the raid began. Even we don't know where he is. Probably going to different floors, hiding from the clearers and possibly from you." Johnny started. "Other than him, you are the only one who still holds that mark who isn't imprisoned. And what about you? What have you been doing?"

"My friends and I repaired the island that you demolished. And we created a guild." I told them.

"Let me see… The Reapers of Sorrow?" XaXa guessed.

"How did you know?" I asked him, curious.

"We have a spy who goes into cities to get information. Word got around that a guild has become quite famous in the Front Lines, even though they've only been there for a mere three months." XaXa explained, "She may have told you this, but I fought that girlfriend of yours. Violet's her name right? Anyways, why did you create a guild? More so, why did you join the Front Lines?"

"It wasn't my decision to create one nor join the Clearing Group." I told them. "I was outvoted by my peers since they wanted to participate in the clearing of the game. I couldn't turn them down since they wanted to do it so badly, even though it puts all of them at risk."

"You're already level ninety-five. Why not just leave the guild and just stay in that island you so truly love? Then your friends won't have to worry" One of the members pointed out.

"And that's what I was planning to do, but for some reason they think I should stay. Thank you for mentioning that." I addressed to the guy who spoke. He grinned evily at me but I just ignored it. "Had my guild let me leave they wouldn't have to worry about being accused of hiding a red player. All their worries would just go away, and most of mine too."

"Not all of them will disappear of course." Johnny pointed out. "I hear that the bounty is still live, even after all of these months you have been inactive.

"And what will you do if you get caught Mortifer? There are ways that the system can be used to obtain information from you." XaXa muttered. "If they find out you're in a guild with the Reapers of Sorrow, they will probably think they are also murderers. And the Flash has even asked me directly if I knew anything about you. You seem to have some sort of connection with her don't you?"

"It doesn't matter to me anymore. As long as my guild is safe." I told him.

And at that moment, I knew everything is going to go wrong and that I jinxed myself. The sound of a horn blowing could be heard even through the thick stone walls of the prison. Loud shouting of players from above could also be heard. All of the members sat down right away but XaXa remained standing.

"You may be my enemy now, but I still consider you to be one of the best friends I've ever had." XaXa proclaimed. "I'll have my revenge on you someday Mortifer, but for now, I hope you get out of here, which you probably won't. You got your cloak thing?"

"Unfortunately no. I used it to sneak into the palace." I sighed.

"If you get caught, good luck. The Paladin and the Flash, they're not nice people. I think they're even scarier than PoH when they get serious" XaXa spat. He sat back down next to Johnny and gave me a quick wave good bye.

"Good bye XaXa…" I muttered.

I quickly opened my inventory and requipped all of my armor. There is only one way out of the prison, which is through the front door. I need to get to that door fast enough so they can't prevent me from escaping.

I ran past all of the cells and followed my steps back to the prison door. I could hear players at the other side so I used my momentum and rammed the door open. At the other side, there were ten players from The Army and three from the Knights of the Blood Oath.

"That's him! The intruder who knocked us out" a voice spoke. I scanned their faces and saw the same two guard I had knocked out before I entered the prison. They woke up fast… "Don't let him escape!"

I drew out my sword as a guy started charging me. I took him down with ease, but two more soldiers appeared down the hallway, heading to our direction. If I continue to fight, I'll be overwhelmed. And so I ran. I combined my sprint and Acrobatics skill and wallrunned above them. Once I got behind them, I vaulted over the two soldiers who were running to us. Then I kept running and running and running.

I could hear the soldiers behind me, but they are falling behind. I could see the front door of the palace, exit. I thought I was home free until I saw a flash of light in the corner of my eye. The blade moved so fast, I could barely even see it. I got stabbed in the side multiple times and I lost my momentum. I tried to stand up but noticed that I couldn't feel my body. I looked at my health bar and saw that I was paralyzed. No… This can't be... Violet, everyone… I'm sorry…

"Bind him!" a feminine voice commanded.

My arms were moved behind my back and I felt ropes rubbing against the skin of my hands. And that voice… I didn't even need to see her face to know who it was. The speed of that blade was enough information. I opened my eyes and looked up at a familiar face. I looked to see the face of Asuna. The Vice-Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath. The Flash.

"Relieve him of his weapons. And take that blasted mask off of his face as well!" Asuna shouted out to the rest of the players.

They proceeded to disarm me, first taking my sword, then unstrapping Scorpion Stinger from my hand. They pulled down my hood and ripped the mask off of my face, letting everyone see my real face.

"Wait… You... That face…" Asuna crouched down and inspected my face, "You're Mortifer! Violet told me you were dead! Did she lie to me?! And what the hell do you think you're doing in this place? Why is your cursor orange? Wait a minute… Are you?"

I gave no response.

"Check his equipment and remove his clothes! Pull up his sleeve while you're at it." Asuna commanded the players.

They followed her orders and someone unwrapped the cloth on my arm while one checked my inventory using my numb arm. They saw the slightly faded Laughing Coffin mark and gasped. The few of them who weren't confiscating me backed away in fear.

"He's definitely Laughing Coffin" A player spoke. Used to be at least…

"All he has is his currently equipped items, a couple of daggers and a single Healing Crystal." The player forcefully moving my hands to configure my inventory spoke.

"Then take all of his items except for his pants and trousers. We're taking him to the Commander." Asuna demanded.

My face tensed as I felt and heard my cloak and armor being removed. When they removed my final shirt, I heard everyone gasp.

"Asuna-sama… His back!" one of the soldiers stuttered.

Asuna moved behind me and also gasped. Someone then kicked my back, sending me sprawling unto the floor. A slim rapier was put against my throat.

"So you're this Reaper of Laughing Coffin we've been searching for!" Asuna exploded, "I thought you were a good person but it seems my judgement is incorrect. Take him to the Commander right away! I need to go have a talk with someone."

"Please don't hurt-"

I tried pleading to Asuna to leave Violet and the guild alone, but someone bashed me hard with their shield. As my vision began to fade, I saw Asuna begin messaging her comrades and telling them to head to Algade. Violet, everyone… I'm sorry…

/

/

/

This whole new section where Mortifer is captured was just something I put to fill in the gap between Laughing Coffin and the end of the story. Don't hate if the plot is bad because I obviously made Mortifer stupid (even though he isn't) just so he can be captured. Nonetheless, this is a very important plot point in the story just like the Cave and Laughing Coffin. Have fun!


	26. Chapter 25: Imprisoned

**(Violet)**

 **Ten minutes later, 50** **th** **floor Algade**

I woke up with a start when someone began knocking on the door hard. The knocking was loud enough to seem like someone was bashing the door open. Everyone got out of bed and walked out of their rooms. We looked at the door, which shook as someone kept rapping on it.

We all slowly approached the door, weapons in hand. Rizer approached the door while Cayonz went to a nearby window, to peak at whoever is knocking. Cayonz kept shifting positions, seemingly unable to see the person. That's when a recognizable voice spoke.

"You guys, it's Argo. Let me in quick!" the voice spoke, "Something bad is happening!"

Without a second thought, Rizer opened the door and Argo came rushing in. She closed the door behind her and locked it completely. She also pulled the curtains of the windows, preventing anybody from outside to see what's going on. She then collapsed unto the sofa and tried to recover her breath.

"Argo what happened? Why are you in such a rush so early in the morning?" I asked her.

"Quick! Delete everyone from your friends list that isn't any of the guild members and myself!" she shouted out. Everyone looked at each other, visibly confused, "The sooner you do that the better! Just do it please!"

I shrugged my shoulders and motioned for everyone to do it. One by one I deleted all of my friends, excluding my guildmates. I deleted Kirito, Agil, and even Asuna, whom I had a close relationship to.

"Mortifer… He… He…" Argo wheezed, still out of breath, "He got captured by the Knights of the Blood Oath. He's being held captive at their headquarters in Grandzam!"

I put my hands on my mouth and looked around the room. Indeed, Mortifer isn't here with us. He must've left early in the morning when we were still asleep. It didn't take long before Zed punched the wall.

"What the hell does he think he's doing?!" he exploded, "Where did he go and how did he get captured?!"

"I was informed that he infiltrated Black Iron Prison. Nobody knew what he was doing there, but they discovered that he is The Reaper. Apparently Asuna is responsible for his capture, as she is the one who stopped him."

"Asuna?!" I exclaimed.

Now I see why Argo told us to delete everyone off of our list. I had told Asuna that Mortifer is dead. If she sees him alive discovered that he is The Reaper, she will want to question me for lying to her and keeping it a secret. If I hadn't deleted her, she can easily track me down due to my friends list.

"I made a promise to him to keep you guys safe, so please, follow me! And take only the most important stuff with you!"

Everyone scrambled to get all of their belongings. As for me, I basically had everything in my inventory already. Rizer transferred his heavy equipment to Konno and Cayonz so he could carry all of Paradox's alchemy equipment. Other than that, we were good to go.

We ran outside the house and into the crowded streets of Algade. We began pushed past all the players that got in our way, angering a few of them. Together we ran to the central plaza where the Teleport Gate was located in. We were about to reach it when a huge group of players appeared from the gate itself.

All the members were armed and dangerous, and all of them were part of the Knights of the Blood Oath. At the front and center of the group stood Asuna, whose face looked very cross expression. She looked around until she noticed us. Argo turned away before she could look at her face.

"Sorry you guys!" she apologized. She pulled out a Teleport Crystal and shouted out, "Teleport, Pani!"

Argo's avatar disappeared, leaving us all alone to fend off our newly found enemies. When I looked back at Asuna, her face became filled with even more anger. Anger for lying to her and now trying to escape from being caught by the clearing group.

"There they are! Don't let them escape!" Asuna shouted out commands to her followers.

"Run!" Zed shouted at the top of his lungs.

Everyone in the guild ran as fast as they could. Everyone split up so it was every man and woman for themselves. Rizer however stayed behind and fought against the KoB members, buying as time as he knew he will definitely be caught with the heavy weight he is carrying.

To the streets on my right, I saw Zed running alongside with Paradox. It was obvious that Paradox was way slower than him, so he forcefully picked her up and began running, even harder than normal. I continued running towards the gate that leads outside the city, hoping that I can get out of this terrible situation. But once I determined who was chasing me, I knew right away this wouldn't end well.

Behind me, I saw Asuna, chasing after me in full speed. Although I get a huge head start, she is still faster than me and is slowly catching up. Why did I have to put my Teleport Crystal inside my backpack and not in my belt pouch? Regardless, the gate is nearby and it is open. If I can somehow close the gate before she gets to me, I can quickly retrieve the crystal and teleport out of here. The problem is, will I make it in time, and how many of us will be captured?

I got that answer right away when I heard a loud yelp from the street parallel to me. I barely managed to see Zed and Paradox fall to the ground and be surrounded by three KoB members. Two of them subdued Zed while the other restrained Paradox.

"Run Violet-san!" Paradox screamed out to me.

Now filled with the resolve to escape, I ran faster than I've ever ran before. This speed felt like the same speed Mortifer used to save me that night we first met. I thought for sure I was going to escape when I looked back to see Asuna with her rapier out.

The sleek and shiny rapier in her hands began to flash a brilliant blue. My eyes widened in terror as I began realizing what she is now doing. She is about to perform a high-level Rapier Sword Skill. The skill is a single-target, single hit, but the sheer speed of it creates a sonic boom capable of blasting players away. A skill that I have yet to master. Flashing Penentrator.

The gap of almost thirty meters we had between us got closed in a mere second. She hit me straight at the back, knocking me down hard on the ground. She flew past me and stopped herself using her boots as brakes. I saw her let out a long sigh as she began approaching me.

This is it for me, and maybe for everyone else too. We've been captured and who knows what we will get as punishment for housing the most wanted criminal in the game. I didn't even resist when Asuna began binding my hands behind my back. I could feel a single tear stream down my eye.

"I'm sorry Asuna… For lying to you, and everything…" I apologized to her, though I did not expect forgiveness, "I just… I didn't want to lose Mortifer again…"

"I do not like being lied to, and I will definitely not forgive you." Asuna declared, "But I will most definitely not hate you. Although you are now my enemy, you are still a close friend of mine. I will not hurt you nor your friends, but your punishment is up to The Paladin to decide."

"Yeah… I understand…"

 **The next day**

We were transported to Black Iron Prison, the same place Mortifer infiltrated yesterday. Unfortunately, we got transported to an empty cell one away from Laughing Coffin's. When we arrived here, a handful of them, including XaXa and Johnny Black, kept laughing for ten minutes straight.

From time to time they would want to talk to us, wanting to know how we've been. We've ignored them for now, but I don't think Zed can hold onto his patience any longer. To be honest, I don't think any of us can with the situation we are currently in.

"That fucking piece of shit Mortifer… It's all his fault we're in here!" Zed shouted as he kicked the prison bars.

"Zed!" Paradox exclaimed, surprised and unhappy with Zed's cursing.

"Why the fuck would he go to visit these guys?" Zed continued with his rant, "And they said that he only came here for information. Now look at what fucking happened! We're basically enemies of everyone in SAO and now we're trapped in a prison that we can't get out of. It's all his fucking fault!"

"Zed calm down…" Cayonz bellowed.

"Why the fuck should I calm down? I mean, it's not like we're going to be stuck here forever or be killed or anything! Yeah, we harbored the most wanted criminal of Aincrad in our home but its no big deal!"

At that moment, Cayonz snapped. He picked up Zed by the back of his head and bashed his head straight into the wall. Fortunately, his health didn't drop since we are in a Safe-Zone, but it knocked him unconscious. It also scared the living daylights out of all of us. I've never seen Cayonz get this mad before, and it is truly a terrifying sight to see.

Paradox crawled over to the unconscious Zed, resting his head on her lap. I expected her to shout at Cayonz for assaulting Zed, but she didn't say anything. I guess even she wanted to stop Zed's rant. Looking at everyone's faces, I could tell that we all wanted him to stop.

"What do you think is going to happen to us?" Trish asked us with a frightened voice.

"In my opinion, the best case scenario is that we only get questioned, and remain behind bars for the rest of the game." Konno stated, "Although I hate Mortifer for causing all of this, his chances of even getting life in prison is slim to none. When Rizer and I met up with The Paladin, I could already tell that he is a merciless man, who takes everything seriously."

"Meanwhile, Asuna absolutely hates criminal players and has a strong sense of justice for them…" I added in, "She says that I am still her friend and that she won't hurt us, but our punishment is decided by The Living Legend."

"Speaking of him, what's the guy's real name?" ViVi asked us, "I know he's all famous and stuff, having that Unique Skill and being called The Strongest Player, but I can't seem to remember his name."

"Heathcliff is my name." A stern and serious sounding voice spoke.

Everyone, except the unconscious Zed, turned around to look out of our jail cell. On the other side of the bars stood two people. Although it was dark, I could recognize one of them to be Asuna. The other was a tall and well-built man wearing crimson red armor and a matching shield. His silver hair was tied in a ponytail, except for one isolated strand that went down across the left side of his face. There is no mistake that this is him. This man is The Paladin. This man is The Living Legend. He is The Strongest Player.

"Greetings Reapers of Sorrow." Heathcliff smiled at us, "I am Heathcliff. Commander and Leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath. Welcome to Black Iron Prison."

 **(Mortifer)**

 **A few hours later, 55th floor Grandzam**

The room was dark and chilly. There was an endless breeze that made my body shiver in the cold. My hands were chained to the ceiling, preventing me from getting any good sleep. A sack covered my head, preventing me from seeing anything. There was a small opening in the sack so I can breathe freely.

I waited here, chained for my crimes. All I can hope for now is that my friends are safe and sound, though if they are also imprisoned, I will only be half-surprised. Asuna would've gone after them before news of my capture would even spread.

I soon began hearing someone coming. No, not just one person but three. They weren't in a rush from the sound of it, but they were definitely coming closer to me. They got closer and closer until it sounded like they were right outside the room I'm in. A door creaked open and light spilled into the room.

If it weren't for the sack, I would've been blinded by the light from what looks like a torch. I felt a sharp coldness touch my stomach. It was most definitely a sword, and its steel was as cold as ice. I felt my chains loosen as two people on either side of me took them down.

I fell on the ground with a thud, not even trying to catch myself from falling. I felt my arms be bound behind my back, then I was forced to stand and walk. I'm still being held at sword point. The person is constantly poking me everytime I slow down or stop. Meanwhile, I'm instinctively remembering the path I'm currently taken, making a virtual map inside my head.

After a minute or so of walking around, my guards stopped me and opened a door to my left. The air inside the room is warmer than the entire place, and I wonder why. I could hear people conversing inside the room. All of them stopped however, and I sensed eyes staring at me. The guards then forced me to walk inside the room. All the moving around finally stopped when someone pushed me down unto a chair and removed the sack off my head.

The light blinded my eyes for the longest time. It took me almost a minute just for my eyes to adjust. I found myself in a giant room, with multiple giant windows made of stained glass. In front of me stood Asuna, who looked down on me with an angered expression. She then crossed her arms and moved out of the way, revealing a table with five people sitting side-by-side together.

All of them were Knights of the Blood Oath members, but only one of them stood out amongst the five. The guy at the center wore a dark red coat instead of the white armor the other people were wearing. His chair was also placed somewhat higher than the rest of them. He didn't need to introduce his name, since almost all SAO players knew it.

"Heathcliff…" I said, spitting on the ground right after to show my disgust.

Without a warning, Asuna punched me straight in the gut, making me spit on the floor even more. Of course there was no pain, but the effects of what happens when I get punched still lingers. She was about to punch me again when Heathcliff signaled her to stop. She lowered her fist and backed away, although she did not seem happy about it.

"It seems you do not understand your current predicament if you're desecrating the name of the Knights of the Blood Oath." Heathcliff stated, "On the other hand, us showing our distaste for you is highly understandable. We have evidence that you are in fact The Reaper."

"Okay, so?" I responded to his statement.

"The council of the Knights of the Blood Oath will question you. Refusing to answer will only worsen your treatment and verdict."

"As if I give a damn." I spat out.

I probably should've chosen a better answer since Asuna took the back of my head and rammed it against her kneecap. My face numbed a little bit and my vision blurred since she hit me directly on my right eye.

"Let's begin with the questions." Heathcliff didn't even wait for me to recover, "We'll start off simple. Are you the so-called Reaper of Laughing Coffin?"

"And what if I am?" Again, wrong answer since Asuna kicked me on my stomach, "Yes… I am"

"Why did you choose to join Laughing Coffin then leave afterwards?" one of the other council members questioned me.

"Oh that? Hmm…"

I thought about my answer. How can I even explain what happened without looking like a fool? There's no way they would believe that I had lost my memory and had no clue what I was doing. It still puzzles me how the NerveGear is even capable of doing such a thing.

"I would find it better if you asked Red-Eyed XaXa of Laughing Coffin about that, or PoH if you can find him." I suggested them, "If you still want an answer, then here's mine. I lost something precious to me and so I joined them since they promised I would get it back if I assist them. When I obtained what I lost, I then realized the sins I have committed."

"And what is this _thing_ that you lost?" Heathcliff questioned me.

"My memory."

They all looked at each other perplexed. Heathcliff however, remained stern and serious which surprised me a little bit. Does he believe me, or is he just not reacting to it because it is so ridiculous? The second one is the most probable answer.

"Onto the next question then…" the council member next to Heathcliff spoke up, "Why is it that you didn't give anybody information about Laughing Coffin's whereabouts even after leaving them."

"They know who I am and they know where I live in this world. If they discover that I'm the one who ratted them out, they will inform you guys about my location and other stuff."

I let out a long yawn, horribly bored. Truthfully, I do not care of what will happen to me. Of course if I die, Violet will be despairing. Not making her having to go through that pain is the only reason why I choose to keep living. I don't live for myself, but rather for my friends. The selfish me died long ago.

"Why did you create the Reapers of Sorrow and join the Front Lines despite the fact that you are a fugitive?"

"I did not choose to create the Reapers of Sorrow. I was forced to do so by my friends. Joining the Front Lines was also not my idea, since it would tremendously increase the risk of me being caught. They refused to let me leave and so I was forced to hide while continuing to manage them."

"Onto our final question." Heathcliff announced, "As of now, how many lives have you reaped?"

The question itself was expected, but the way Heathcliff delivered it to me caught me off guard. The seriousness of his voice seemed to double as well as his interest in me. His eyes seemed to look down upon me as if he were a god in this world. He also said the words 'As of now' which also puzzled me. Does he think I'm going to kill more people in the situation I'm in?

"Seventy-four people. Twenty-seven of them were Laughing Coffin."

"Seventy-four?!" one of the councilmen shouted.

He stood up from his chair, completely infuriated. Heathcliff however held up his fist, signaling him to stop. The councilman didn't seem to be happy, but he obeyed his commander's orders and sat back down.

"As for the rest of them?" Heathcliff asked me.

I chose not to answer directly but instead decided to look down to the ground from shame. Of course, that is how I truly feel about it. Even now, the Voices seem to be screaming, but I pushed them away using my willpower. I looked back to Heathcliff and the council members, who seem to understand what my answer is.

"That will be all for today. Do you happen to have questions for us? If so, feel free to ask." Heathcliff announced.

Again, what a weird thing to say to a fugitive like me. Heck, even the other council members looked at their leader questioningly, but they decided to roll with it. However, I do have questions for them and I'm somewhat grateful for them letting me ask.

"My guild… What happened to them?"

"Asuna-san captured them a short while after she captured you." Heathcliff informed me, "According to the reports I received, they were trying to escape with an unidentified person. They are now being held up in Black Iron Prison. As of now, we have not punished any of them for their crimes."

"I see…"

So none of them escaped... The unidentified person they talked about must be Argo. Although she didn't even get them out of the city, I'm grateful to know that she tried. I half-expected us to get caught immediately anyway.

"Any more questions?" Heathcliff asked me. I have one more, though I already know the answer to it.

"Will you release my friends?" I asked them, expressing sympathy, "They have done absolutely nothing wrong. Although I have no right to say this, but it is cruel for someone to be brought to a dark place when they only dwell in the light."

Everyone in the room looked at me. I already knew the answer, but the silence before they give it to me made me feel weird. Are they actually thinking about letting them go? If not, then why is it so hard to say a one-word answer?

"I am fully aware that your friends did nothing wrong and unjust. In fact, they have shown us the complete opposite, and in a remarkable level as well." Heathcliff admitted, "Unfortunately, we can not simply let them go, as we still have questions for them to answer."

"Yeah… I expected that answer." But I did not expect the hesitation in answering it, "I have nothing else to say."

"Very well. Send him back to his cell."

 **(Violet)**

 **Two days later, Black Iron Prison**

We've been in this cell for three days and got captured four days ago. Nothing dramatic has happened to us at all. The closest thing we got to dramatic is meeting Heathcliff, who just wanted to see us for a short moment. Today though, I'm expecting us to be questioned.

"You guys should get ready down there. I can hear them coming." A voice cackled from the Laughing Coffin cells.

It was undoubtedly XaXa, but I didn't care. Though I did care about how sensitive his ears are. Not even I, who's been with Mortifer for a long time, can hear them coming. After all, the walls of this prison are made of stone as well as the ceiling and floor.

Sure enough, I heard the sound of a door opening far away. I peeked out of our cell and saw a faint light down the dark hallway. I couldn't see anybody coming, but I could tell that the light is getting closer. It was still early in the morning, so I proceeded to wake everyone up from their slumber.

"Violet-san… What is it?" Paradox yawned.

"Someone's coming." I answered her.

Everyone yawned and proceeded to slap themselves in order to wake up faster. The yellow light grew brighter and footsteps echoed down the hallway. When the footsteps were right next to us, I saw a single person appear. It was Asuna.

"Good. You guys are awake." She nodded her head as she spoke, "Now I won't have to go to the trouble of waking you guys up."

"Did you come here to interrogate us Asuna?" I asked her politely.

"Naturally. The Commander and his council wanted to question you themselves, but I persuaded them to let me handle it." Asuna explained to us, "I have questions for each and everyone of you guys. Unfortunately, I can't let you leave your cell so everyone will hear each other's answers."

"Don't forget about us Asuna-sama!" someone from Laughing Coffin joked. Asuna let out a long sigh and simply pulled up a nearby chair to sit on.

"We'll start with the simple questions I guess." Asuna began, "When did you guys first meet Mortifer?"

"I met him a few months at the start of the game. He saved my life after my cousin and I got separated." I informed her.

"I met him the same time I met you." Rizer began, "The fight we had with Masjid and all those other wolves. That was also the day I joined him and Violet's party."

"I met Mortifer sometime April of last year. He, Rizer and Violet were busy making their characters stronger. I was simply searching for ingredients for my potions." Paradox explained to her.

"I met Violet before I met Mortifer." Cayonz began speaking, "They were searching for him and I found his equipment in a collapsed cave so I presumed he was dead. I joined their group later in Christmas. I truly met Mortifer when Laughing Coffin was tasked to kill us. He was part of the group that were sent to carry out the mission. Him and XaXa."

"Oh that mission." I heard XaXa's voice speak from down the hall, "You know Violet, if he hadn't seen your face, he may still be with us. Imagine how many more lives he would've taken!"

"Shut up!" Asuna shouted at him whilst throwing a small rock near their cell.

"No need to get feisty Flash-sama." XaXa chuckled, "I'll be quiet now."

Asuna waited for a couple of seconds to be sure that XaXa wouldn't interrupt anymore. After her doubts were cleared she looked at Zed, waiting for his answer.

"The four of us met Mortifer at the same time. Sometime during April of this year." Zed started, "We were trying to get money to pay a debt we had with Laughing Coffin. Our deadline for the money got extremely close so we decided to try and steal from someone. The first person we decided to steal from was Mortifer and Violet."

"It seems that Laughing Coffin has caused you guys a great deal of trouble in just a few months." Asuna muttered.

I just now noticed the small notepad Asuna had on her lap. She's been writing down everything we have said. She was probably forced to by Heathcliff and his council.

"Onto the next question then… Excluding Violet, what do you think of Mortifer despite the fact that he is a murderer?"

I was slightly offended that I couldn't answer the question, but it also got me interested. Nobody really speaks about their feelings towards him since nobody is brave enough to do so. Zed is possibly the only one who has truly expressed his feelings towards Mortifer.

"Well to start this all off, he's saved all of our lives." Rizer began explaining, "Had it not been for him, all of us may be dead right now. Sure, the fact that he's killed many people bothers me, but he is a good friend of mine whom I believe in."

"I also feel the same way, but maybe even stronger." Paradox chimed in, "To me, he's like a Nii. He saved me when I was in trouble, and he took me into their group when he discovered I had no place to stay in."

"I don't think much of others since I don't see it necessary." Cayonz continued with the questions, "I have no direct relationship to Mortifer since I don't really talk to the guy. Sometimes, I even forget that he's there with us and the fact that he's killed many people. My personality may also be affecting how I view him too."

Now that I look at it, Cayonz doesn't get involved with our big problem. With the exception of Trish, Cayonz is by far the quietest person in our guild. I can't really believe that he used to be that kind and sociable guy back then. Maybe it's because he met Mortifer that he had this change. Or he's always been like this. Who knows?

The room went silent as Asuna then looked at Zed. We all stared at him and observed his expression. This can't possibly end well. Everyone in the guild knows that Zed hates Mortifer completely. His rant the other day showed his true colors to all of us. I even saw Paradox covered her ears with her hands.

"You want to know what I think of that guy?" Zed smirked, "I guess you can say that I hate his guts more than you hating Laughing Coffin. The guy's a fucking weirdo. First he goes against twenty Laughing Coffin members and lives, then that stupid fucking field boss."

"Zed!" I exclaimed, "You're not supposed to say anything about that!"

"Field boss?" Asuna looked at us questioningly, "What field boss?"

"The Unseen Stinger. You know how we found it right outside the gate of the town? Yeah it was that guy who beat it. He just loves to show off how strong he is. He just loves to get attention and be in a leadership position."

"Zed, you're being hypocritical." Aqua mentioned to him, making him flinch as it was the truth, "I guess I'll go next. I don't hate the guy, nor do I like him. I stayed with them because they offered us a home to live in and safety. I trusted him that we would be safe but now I've lost all of that trust, as well as my respect for him."

Everyone looked at me with apologetic expressions but I simply waved them off. This will be the one time I get to know how they feel about him, so I might as well listen and take it in. Of course I'm a bit hurt by their words to Mortifer, but I have to endure.

"I'm only here because of Zed." Konno spoke up, "Like Cayonz, I have no direct relationship to the guy. All I can say is that he scares me. Him and his superhuman senses and strength, as well as how reckless he can get. Although I do not like him, I don't want to see the guy die either. I find it amusing being with him because of how mysterious he is."

Asuna nodded her head and continued to write on the little notepad. We all looked at Trish, who sat at the corner all by herself. Of all the people here, Trish is the quietest, and is also the one who is least close to Mortifer. I don't even remember the last time Mortifer has talked to her.

"I'm kind of neutral towards him. He treats me nicely but I do not like the fact that he is The Reaper. His personality and the way he dresses also scares me."

"So the only one who really hates him here is Zed?" Asuna questioned us. We all nodded to her and she nodded back, "I see then… I have one question but this is for Violet to answer."

Hearing my name made me nervous. A question only for me to answer? What kind of question would it be? Even worse, if I answer the question, how will it affect Mortifer and ourselves?

"What happened during the fourth of May of last year?" Asuna asked me. The question caught me dumbfounded, "On the Monument of Life, there is a line crossing through an empty space, signaling the death of a certain player. The name however is missing as well as the cause of death. So tell me, what exactly happened that night?"

At that moment, Rizer walked over to Paradox, who's eyes are already tearing up. No matter how many times he tells her it, she'll always blame herself for what happened that night. Just mentioning the Night of the Forest to her makes her want to break down crying. It does the same to me and Rizer, though Rizer doesn't necessarily cry.

"Violet, I can tell her about it if you want me to." Zed volunteered but I held my hand up to turn him down.

"No, it's fine… Although it's Mortifer's decision to speak about that night, I guess I have no choice." I let out a sigh as I began reciting my point of view of that one night, "That day started out completely normal. We were uh…"

Right away, Rizer made a small cross with his fingers between his legs so Asuna couldn't see. I knew right away what I shouldn't say and kept it in mind. If I tell her about us building a home in the 24th floor, then she will get people to search that place.

"We were gathering materials and to help someone build a home down at the 8th floor. Everything was going fine until night came. We all agreed that we would return back home once the sun goes down, but that wasn't the case for Paradox."

I looked over to Paradox who has definitely started sobbing. Rizer rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. Even for him, remembering that night is painful. Not only because of Paradox, but because of Mortifer.

"We saw her location to be in a nearby forest, the same forest she was getting wood for the house from. The three of us, Mortifer, Rizer, and myself, went to go looking for her to see what is causing her to be late. We found her tied up to a tree and surrounded by three cloaked guys. We were waiting for Mortifer's signal to attack but it didn't come. They did things to her... As well as take her thing…"

After I said those words, I heard everyone gasp, except for those who knew the story. Trish cowered in the corner while Aqua went to Konno's side. Asuna just sat on her chair with her hands to her mouth, eyes wide in shock. Zed hasn't moved an inch, but I could see the pain in his face.

"Before Rizer and I could even jump in to help, Mortifer brutally killed those three players. He used a sword to kill two of them, but used his bare hands to kill the one who abused Paradox. Even though it'sa game with no blood nor pain, my stomach churned from the sight of the brutality. That was the first time Mortifer killed someone in this game. Moments after, he ran away, fearing that he would hurt us. And that's what happened that night on the fourth of May."

"Your story doesn't add up though…" Asuna mumbled.

"Excuse me?" I asked her, slightly confused.

"According to the Monument of Life, he died that night. He is still alive, so what happened? Surely you must know."

"No, we don't." Rizer chimed in, 'None of us know what happened. He ran away and became gray on our friend's list. It's like the system doesn't understand that he is still here with us. Not even Violet, who is married to him, can check is Skills menu or contact him."

"I see…" Asuna wrote a few more words on her notepad then placed it in a tiny belt bag, "That's all the questions the Commander is making me ask you guys for now. Since you guys are my friends, I'll answer any question you have right now, within reason that is."

I was astonished at her words, so was everyone else. I quickly asked her questions that I wanted answers for without even hesitating.

"Mortifer… Where is he? What's going to happen to him?" I asked Asuna.

"We've taken him to Grandzam, inside the KoB headquarters. We're still interrogating him, though I would prepare for the worst if I were you Violet-chan." Asuna suggested though I already knew that.

"What about us?" Zed grunted, "Do you know what is going to happen to us?"

"I already told Violet this but it wouldn't hurt if I say it again. I would rather let you go free than stay in this dark dungeon, but it is not my decision to make. The most probable outcome for you guys is that you will spend the rest of the game here in this cell."

"As expected…" Zed mumbled back, "How much longer do you think we will stay here then?"

"No clue. Maybe till the end of this month or longer." Asuna replied.

"Hmm… Only a few more days then." Konno noticed.

"Do you need anymore questions that you want answers for?"

All of us looked at each other, wondering if any of us has any questions. From the looks of it though, none of us had questions to be answered. Asuna nodded and set her chair back into the corner she found it in. She then silently walked away, leaving us all alone again. Somewhere very far away, I heard the faint sound of a door opening and closing.

"She's gone now." I told everyone.

"Why did you guys lie to her?" a voice from the Laughing Coffin cells spoke. It was XaXa again, "I know that you guys weren't at the 8th floor when that happened. You were busy building your home on the 24th, and that's where it happened, in that forest that's connecting your island the all the others."

"H-How did you know?" I asked him, utterly surprised. Did Mortifer tell him? He couldn't have if he had lost his memory.

"I probably know more about Mortifer's time from when he ran away from you guys to when he joined us, more than you do." XaXa stated, "He got plenty of nightmares when he joined us, and everytime we butt heads I see weird images of death and monsters. I decided not to bother with it as even I didn't understand what's going on in his head. From the looks of it, neither do you guys."

"Great. Now you've made me a little jealous that you probably know more about Mortifer than I do." I responded to him, slightly annoyed.

"However, I will tell you about one thing." XaXa quickly put in, "Back when we attacked you in the Island, surely you guys must've heard or seen the explosion. That explosion was from Mortifer. He said three things before he attempted to kill us all. He said: Surge of Darkness"

 **(Mortifer)**

 **Two days later, Grandzam**

I'm completely starved and dehydrated. Did they forget that you can still get tired in this game? If I could only have Violet's cooking right now, but they are in prison at the moment. And how come it is taking them so long to decide my punishment? If I was determining the fate of a mass murderer, I would probably just kill them, or life in prison. I've already gotten solitary confinement, so killing me off would probably be best.

Then again, what happens if I am executed? For one, will my Surge of Darkness prevent me from dying, or will it just not activate if I die too quickly? I've obviously not tried it before. If I did, I wouldn't be alive right now. Hopefully they kill me quickly, or put me in a place where I can't hurt anybody. Then again, there's Violet…

"The darkness inside you is strong." A voice called out from outside my cell. The door opened and light leaked in, though the sack on my head protected me from being blinded, "Even the system rejects you."

"Excuse me?" I asked the silhouette of the person in front of me, "What do you mean reject me?"

"A little bit how Laughing Coffin isn't an official guild." The man explained, "Because of it's terrible actions, the system has completely erased the guild from the list of official guilds. That is why some people can join other guilds without being detected."

"So you're saying that because I killed three people back then, the system can no longer identify me correctly?" I asked him, "Sorry, but that makes no sense. Killing three people will definitely make my Color Cursor turn orange, but it shouldn't do the same thing it did with Laughing Coffin."

The man started chuckling as he walked around my chained body. Who is this man? I've heard of this voice before, but I don't remember when and where. Was it in this game, or out of it? Or maybe it could even be both? Either way he seems to know a lot about this game, maybe even more than I do.

"Torus, what are you doing in here?" a recognizable voice spoke, "Why are you conversing with the prisoner?"

"Commander Heathcliff, I uh…" Torus stuttered, "I was just curious."

"Well since you're here, you can help me by bringing him to the council room." Heathcliff commanded, "A verdict has been reached."

"Why don't you just tell it to me right here?" I grumbled at him.

"That is because we have company. Make haste Torus, everyone is waiting." Heathcliff commanded his underling.

I felt my chains be unbound and I fell to the floor. Someone picked me up and bound my hands behind my back. He began pushing me but I stood me ground since I didn't want to be pushed.

"I remember the way." I told him.

"Y-You remember the way to the council room, after going there once?" Torus said in disbelief.

I didn't answer him and just started walking. A map of the place formed inside my head and I began analyzing it. Three steps from here and turn left. Head straight for seventeen steps then turn right. This will be the main hallway. I can tell since the echoes of my footsteps take a while before it gets back to me.

"Okay Torus, I can handle it from here." Heathcliff spoke.

"As you command, sire." Torus answered. I felt a slight gush of wind to my side. Is he bowing? "I will move onto my other duties."

"You don't want to hear the outcome of this man and his guild's trial?"

"I'll ask the others about it." He responded.

"As you wish."

Heathcliff then tapped my shoulder, signaling me to move. I continued walking but at the same time analyzing my surroundings. Weird… I only hear mine and Heathcliff's footsteps. I should be able to hear Torus's but I sense anything. Even if Torus was standing still, at least the clinking of his armor should be heard, but nothing reached my ears. Did this guy complete his Sneak skill? No, that wouldn't make sense. What kind of KoB member wastes a skill slot on a skill that's useless in combat?

Nonethless, I continued moving forward. I could hear a lot of talking going on in a room nearby. It must be coming from the council room. There is without a doubt, a great number of people in there. It sounded like a typical trial in the real world. I took a few more steps before turning to face the door of the council room.

Without warning, Heathcliff took off the sack covering my head. My eyes adjusted to the light slowly. After a couple of seconds, I could clearly see everything without flinching. Heathcliff stood beside me, fully equipped in his armor. He then approached the giant door and pushed it open, revealing a room filled with people.

The room was filled with a myriad of chairs, which everyone occupied. To both my right and left, there were numerous players. Most were clearers, but a few looked like ordinary people. Next to the front rows were a special group of chairs. From the looks of it, the guild leaders who are part of the Front Lines are the ones who occupied them. Asuna took a seat in one of those chairs since Heathcliff is going to be the council leader.

What surprised me most however is neither the clearers nor the guild leaders. Spread out in a semi circle facing towards the councilmen, were nine cloaked players. When the person right in front of me turned around, I already knew who they were. It was my guild, the Reapers of Sorrow. They are here to listen in on this occasion. Violet, who stood right in front of me, had a worried look in her face.

Two guards came to my side and led me to the center of the room. Heathcliff walked past me and joined his fellow council members. Conversations continued around the room but I was too focused on my guild. Undoubtedly, Zed had the most furious expression on his face. Just then, the sound of a mallet hitting a desk rung across the room, silencing everyone.

"Per request of multiple guilds, we have invited all of you here today to witness the outcome of this trial." Heathcliff announced. Although he welcomed everyone nicely, his expression showed the opposite as if he doesn't want them here, "Here we have Mortifer. Better known as The Reaper or The Reaper of Laughing Coffin. He is the leader of the Reapers of Sorrow, whom are sitting before you."

People began whispering around the room along with quiet conversations. There were too many going on at once for me to eavesdrop on one of them. I also spotted Asuna talking to what seems like the leader of the Divine Dragon Alliance. On the other side of the room, I spotted Klein, the leader of Fuurinkazan and the first person Kirito met on the first day of this death game. Behind Klein were his guild members, along with Agil, whose arms were crossed.

"Before we tell you the results of our judgement, we will first inform you of information we've gathered from them." The person next to Heathcliff took out a piece of paper and gave it to him, "Mortifer. You have been charged with murder, for seventy-four lives. According to your testimony, this includes a total of twenty-seven Laughing Coffin members. You've also murdered clearers and innocent players."

The whispering around the room continued. I still couldn't make out what anybody was saying because my ears were picking up too much of the sound. I kept observing my surroundings and noticed one person in Army uniform. It was Kibaou, and he scowled at me fiercly. I glared back at him and looked back to Heathcliff.

"Violet, Rizer, Paradox, Cayonz, Zed, Konno, ViVi, Aqua, and Trish. The nine of you are convicted of housing a wanted fugitive in your home as well as not revealing information about him. After analyzing the information given to us for four days as well as consult with other guilds, we have reached a verdict."

All the talking around the room stopped. I could feel my heart start beating faster. In fact, it beat so fast I can hear it in my head. So much anxiety built up inside of me. Why am I getting so nervous when I already know what's going to happen to me? All of the KoB council members then raised their hands up and spoke in unison.

"We, the council of the Knights of the Blood Oath represent the people of Aincrad in this decision. We hereby sentence Mortifer to death via public execution."

I could hear Violet start crying as well as Paradox. Conversations started up from everywhere, including the guild leaders. Nobody looked surprised, except for myself. Did they say… Public execution? No, it can't be! The system can't recognize me in the Duel System so I can't die in a Safe-Zone, if they do a public execution outside the Area, then there's a chance that my Surge of Darkness will be released.

"Furthermore." Heathcliff continued.

They're still not done? What other punishment could they possibly add to make things even worse for me?

"We hereby sentence the entirety of the Reapers of Sorrow to death via public execution."

My heart failed me completely. The Voices inside my head burst out screaming, but I couldn't even react to it because I was too busy analyzing what Heathcliff had just said. My friends… Are going to be executed?

The whole room went silent. There were many faces filled with shock while only a handful of them looked unfazed. Many people, including Agil, Klein and a couple of clearers had their mouths open wide. Suddenly, Asuna stood up from her chair and faced Heathcliff.

"C-Commander, you're going to execute them too?" Asuna said in disbelief, "B-But all they did was protect Mortifer from being found out! I thought we decided that we would either let them go free or keep them in prison!"

"Asuna-san. I thought you had a strong sense of justice. Why are you trying to protect these people?" Heathcliff questioned the revolting Asuna.

"Because they don't deserve a punishment like that!" Asuna yelled back at him. She drew out her rapier and pointed it at Heathcliff, "Who did you consult with to even come up with this decision?"

"The Divine Dragon Alliance, The Army, The Dragon Knights Brigade, The Wolves of the Full Moon, and The Knights of Dawn have all decided upon their verdict. Truthfully, I did not want such a thing to happen but I am one man going against dozens of others." Heathcliff shamefully admitted, "I am sorry Asuna-san and especially to the rest of the Reapers of Sorrow. Both executions will be held in the same day, three days from now on the 1st floor. That will be all."

Heathcliff and his council members rose from their chairs and silently exited the room. Once they did leave, the whole place went into mayhem. Many people protested against my guild's sentence. A few were unfazed while others celebrated it. I would have assaulted them by now if it weren't for the fact that I'm beating myself up right now.

If I had just died in that Cave, or just not listen to any of my friends, none of this would've happened. But now, I'm being killed out in public where everyone can witness the hidden monster inside me. Worst of all, my friends are being executed as well. How cruel and unfair has my life become?

Two KoB members approached me and forcefully dragged me back to my cell. I watched as they did the same to my guild. All of them had shocked expressions. All of them were full of fear. I can't even fathom what Zed must be thinking right now, Violet too. If I don't do something about this, then the vow I made to Violet on our wedding day will be broken.

"I promised to get you out of this death game, safe and sound Violet. I can't break that promise so soon."

 **(Violet)**

 **Later that day, Black Iron Prison, Three days till execution**

Paradox and Trish have done nothing but cry ever since they told us we were executed. Zed has done nothing but go on a rampage in our tiny cell. The rest of us, including myself, just sat down on the ground, still in disbelief. Execution for housing a wanted fugitive? Not even the real world would do such a thing. How is that even logical?

"It doesn't seem like the trial went so well." XaXa shouted from the other cell, "What happened there, other than Mortifer being sentenced to death?"

For some reason, talking to XaXa has become easier and easier. Sometimes, I even forget that he is part of Mortifer's darkness as well as Laughing Coffin. Or maybe it's because I'm so focused on our current situation that I just ignore all others.

"Yes, Mortifer was sentenced to death via public execution. So were we." I informed the LC member.

"Wait, seriously?" Johnny Black's voice exclaimed, "You guys too?"

Johnny Black started laughing maniacally. A couple other LC members laughed along with him, but XaXa was not among them. Their laughter triggered Zed even more, causing him to throw a small rock through our prison bars and down towards their cell. I heard it bounce off the walls and somehow managed to hit someone.

"Okay, okay, we'll stop!" Johnny quickly shouted.

"I do not feel pity for you guys since you are still my enemies, but how did they even draw that conclusion?" XaXa wondered.

"According to Heathcliff, he did not want such a sentence to be given to us." I answered him, "A handful of powerful guilds overpowered him as they all wanted us to die along with Mortifer. Talk about a cruel world."

"There has to be some way we can get out of this place…" Zed grumbled as he continuously kicked the prison bars, "I don't care if I have to kill somebody. I ain't dying in this fucking game."

"And you won't, I promise you guys." A familiar voice spoke from down the hallway.

I heard someone coming down from the hallway. We quickly sat back down except for Zed, who leaned against the prison bars, still furious. When the person walked up to our cell, I determined it to be Asuna, who had a saddened look on her face.

"Argo came looking for me when the news of your sentence was released. She said she is an acquaintance of you guys." Asuna explained to us, "She asked me why I decided to execute you, but I told her that wasn't the case. She then asked me for help in breaking you guys out, and I agreed to it."

"Wait, you serious?" Zed exclaimed. Her words also took me by surprise. I stood up and faced her.

"Wait, you're going to help us break out?!" I gasped, "But what if you get caught? Won't you become a criminal too?"

"Even if I do become a fugitive, I can not simply let my friends die, especially when they don't deserve it." Asuna declared, "There's one other person who will be helping in this plan of ours. I believe you guys already know who Kirito is."

"Yes, we do." I answered for everyone. Mortifer's brother is going to help us escape as well? That's sort of relieving, "What are we going to do about Mortifer then?"

"I'm sorry Violet, but I only plan on rescueing you guys, and so does Kirito." Asuna affirmed, "I am not nice enough or forgiving enough to let even Mortifer run away. That's why I told you to be prepared for the worst."

My gazed went down towards the floor. Of course I expected her not to help him, but it still pains me to see Mortifer go away. Before they told us about the rest of the Reapers's fate, I took a look at Mortifer's face. His expression caught me off guard since he seemed so surprised and full of fear. Was he worried about the fact that it is a public execution?

"Argo said that she has a plan, but she doesn't seem confident about it." Asuna noted, "Since Mortifer will be executed first, the plan will begin after that happens. In fact, she said it will begin right when Mortifer's about to die. She's being very secretive about it. She told me and Kirito that all we have to do is protect you guys as you run. She calls it Operation: Darkness Blade. No clue why she called it that, but whatever."

"Operation: Darkness Blade?" Rizer quickly said, sitting straight up at the same time.

"Yes, what about it? Does the name bother you?" Asuna inquired.

"No. I just thought I heard of that name somewhere before but I have no clue when or where."

From observing his face, gestures, and his voice, I could tell that Rizer is lying. I don't know what this Darkness Blade thing is, but none of us except Rizer and maybe Argo knows of it. I thought about asking him, but it would be better to leave it alone and let Argo handle everything. Plus, Asuna is here with us. Does it have to do with those two blades Mortifer has?

"Well anyways, I need to leave now." Asuna told us, "In fact, I shouldn't even be down here since I didn't get permission. Don't worry Violet-chan. I swear on my life that I will save you guys."

She was about to head off when she noticed XaXa looking through the prison bars, smiling at her.

"If you tell anybody about this, I will cut you up myself." Asuna threatened him.

"No need to be impolite Flash-sama. I like mischevious plans, so you don't have to worry about any of us leaking information." XaXa laughed evily.

Asuna backed away from the crazy man and continued walking back to the exit of the prison. After a while, I heard the prison door creak open then close a second afterwards. We all then sat back down and started thinking.

"Rizer, what is this Operation: Darkness Blade? You said the name sounds familiar." I asked him, "Does it have to do something with Mortifer."

"Yes, it has everything to do with Mortifer." Rizer stated, "I have no clue what's going to happen. All I know is that name is related to Mortifer, and our escape is probably going to be dependent on him."

"How can he possibly help us escape while he is being killed?" Zed exasperated.

"I have no clue, but if you want to live, then we have to believe in Argo, Asuna and Kirito to help us get out of this mess."

 **(Kirito)**

 **The next day, 50th floor Algade, Two days till execution**

"Where's Argo?" I asked Asuna who sat on a chair next to me.

We were waiting in a small, rundown café in the outskirts of Algade. Argo, Asuna and I decided to meet here at this time, but the Rat is late, even though she is the one who decided the time. Now, Asuna and I are impatiently waiting at a table outside the café.

"Who knows where she could be? She might be bargaining with someone right now to get more Cor." Asuna sighed.

"That's mean Aa-chan." A feminine voice spoke.

I looked over to the entrance of the café to see a girl with whisker make-up. Sure enough, it was Argo, and she gave us a big smile.

"We haven't seen each other for a long time Aa-chan, Kii-bou." Argo greeted us, "We should hang out more often."

"You're the one who decided to stop hanging out with us since you're so busy finishing up field guides to sell to players." I argued back at her.

"Can we please talk about the matter at hand here?" Asuna quickly interrupted, "This will be the only time I can meet up with you guys like this. The guild is very busy preparing for the execution."

"Calm down now Aa-chan." Argo persuaded her, "Okay, let's talk."

Argo brought out a fairly large sheet of rolled-up paper. She spread it out on the table, revealing a very detailed map of the Starting City on the 1st floor. It reached from the center of the city, to the supposed arena where the execution was being held.

"Asuna, can you please draw out the route that they are taking to head to the execution?" Argo asked her, handing her a stick of charcoal to use.

Asuna took the black writing tool and began drawing out on the map. She marked an X next to the 1st floor's Teleport Gate and began drawing a line going towards the arena. It went down the biggest street of the city, before having to turn to a different street due to the weird lake in the middle of the city.

After returning back on the main street, it was another straight down path towards the southern gate of the city. Overall, the route they are taking is nothing special. It's just the easiest and fastest way to get to the arena. After exiting the city, it was another straight-forward path towards the arena. There's still something on my mind however.

"Hey Asuna, if we're doing a public execution, why didn't we just do it inside the city?" I asked her.

"The system is confused when it comes to anything related to Mortifer." She answered me, "I've tried sending a Duel request to him, but his name wouldn't appear on the list. We are doing it in the arena since there is plenty of space and so we don't have to worry about needing a Duel to kill him."

"How come Mortifer can't be detected by the system? And please don't refer to him as my brother…"

"I asked him about that a long time ago. He said because something had happened to him and so the game is treating him like an NPC and a player at the same time." Argo explained to us.

"Well then, moving on, there's actually something I want to say before we continue with this plan." Asuna told us.

"What is it Aa-chan?" Argo questioned her.

"The commander assigned me to be Mortifer's executioner. Will that affect our plan in anyway?"

She looked at Argo, who stared at her dumbfounded. She sat there frozen for a few seconds before I waved my hand in front of her face out of curiosity. Argo blinked twice and shook herself back to reality.

"No it won't affect our plan. Actually it will, but in a good way!" Argo beamed.

"How so?" I asked the info dealer.

"If Asuna kills Mortifer slowly, we have more time to set-up for the escape plan. If he dies instantly or too quickly, we probably won't have enough time. In fact, we may lose our chance if he dies too quickly. Keep him in the red zone for a bit, then we should have enough time. Our gap for success is that small."

"Okay well, what is the plan anyway?" I asked her impatiently, "What's this Operation: Darkness Blade."

"Kii-bou, how hard can you punch the ground?" Argo asked me.

"E-Excuse me?!" I said, looking at her ridiculously.

"My plan was to create a sandstorm big enough that we can jump into the arena and cut their binds. Afterwards, we give all of them Teleport Crystals and we all teleport out together."

"So you want me to punch the ground so I can create a sandstorm? Are you crazy? How does that even work scientifically?!"

"Mortifer does it all the time." Argo whimpered.

"I'm not Mortifer Argo… Though I do think I can make one by using Sword Skills to swipe at the air, forcing wind to blow dust off of the ground. I'm going to have to practice it first at the arena itself and see if I can do it. The topsoil of the arena floor is gone right?"

"When I checked it yesterday, it looked like it." Argo responded.

"Then what do I do?" Asuna inquired, "Do I just wait till Kirito-kun makes his move then proceed to free them?"

"Precisely!" Argo beamed, "To make sure we don't seem suspicious, the two of you will have to make your hatred for them seem real. So Asuna, kill Mortifer as if you truly despise him, and Kirito, you can try making a scene beforehand. I'll collect the Teleport Crystals for all of us to use. While Aa-chan is busy killing Mortifer, I'll be analyzing our surroundings to determine the best time and place for Kii-bou to make his dramatic entrance. Also, I know we talked about it yesterday, but are you sure you guys want to help me free them?"

"Of course we do. But I do have a question for you Argo." I asked the Rat.

"What is it Kiri-bou?" she purred.

"Why didn't you tell any of us about Mortifer?" I interrogated her, "I know you better than most people. I know that you'll be willing to sell anything for money except information about the SAO Beta Testers. Why would you hide something as crucial as The Reaper of Sorrow?"

My question left Argo speechless. She opened her mouth but spoke no words. She then looked at the ground and put her hands behind her back, as if she were ashamed of something. She then pulled out of her pocket a ruined flyer. The words "Help us find this man" were imprinted as the heading.

"According to Violet, a year ago, Mortifer killed three people in attempt to save his friend. It went successful but apparently Mortifer ran away in fear. Asuna, I think you know of this story already, but you don't know what happened afterwards."

"Yes that's true. I heard about that incident from Violet, but not what occurred after." Asuna informed us.

"So what happened then Argo?" I asked the girl.

"I informed Violet about Mortifer's possible whereabouts and led her there after she payed me a fortune of Cor. When we found the place I thought Mortifer would be, we found it empty. We waited a few days before Violet got impatient. So I helped them conduct a search, offering high rewards to anybody who finds him."

"And what became of the search?" Asuna asked her.

"Cayonz, who wasn't part of RoS at that time, found a collapsed cave and told me about it. I got Violet, Rizer and Paradox to follow me there. Inside the rubble, Cayonz found Mortifer's items. His cloak, sword, mask, everything. We assumed him to be dead that very day, that is until I met him again back in April. I was being attacked by Laughing Coffin, who was tasked to kill me in order to slow down the clearing of the game. Mortifer saved me right just in time and scared them away. And that's the story."

"So… Why didn't you tell anybody?" I asked her once again.

"Well for one, Mortifer saved my life, so I owe him. They've given me more money than anybody else in this game. And I felt sorry for Violet-chan." Argo whimpered, "I mean, how would you feel if you had to see a loved one disappear, then reappear only to disappear again, and this time it would be permanent?"

I took in Argo's words and thought to myself. Indeed, it would be tragic for something like that to happen. Even now I'm being haunted by the deaths of my old comrades.

"Also I was scared of Mortifer going after me if I sold him out." Argo added in, her body shivering in fear.

"Okay, we understand your reasons now and accept them as plausible excuses." Asuna quickly spoke, "So we all agree that we don't care if we become fugitives as long as we save them, is that right?"

"Yeah." Argo and I agreed in unison.

"Okay, I'll see you guys in two days then!"

/

/

/

OMG, ITS KIRITO. Jk but yeah, he's also going to be used in the story as one of the POVs. Sorry for all the profanity with Zed when they got imprisoned. I just needed him to live up to his personality. Hope you guys are enjoying. Also, another chapter with 10k words. Yay!


	27. Chapter 26: Execution Day

**(Violet)**

 **0 days till Mortifer's execution, 1** **st** **floor**

Today is the day. Today will be the day Mortifer officially dies and us as well. That is if Asuna, Argo, and Kirito's plan turns out to be unsuccessful. I can already hear the commotion going on outside despite the thick stone walls of this prison. Before I wasn't able to, but today the people up there are especially loud.

I heard the far-away prison door open and the entrance of a bunch of guards. They seemed to be in a hurry as they were sprinting towards us. The rhythm of their footsteps said so at least. A total of three Army members appeared. One of them entered the cell and locked the door behind him. He held up chain shackles for my hands, and legcuffs for my feet.

"One-by-one, stand up and put your hands in front of you." The guard commanded.

We did as we were told, not even trying to fight back. We can't escape either way since the door is locked and there are two other guards outside of it. I voluntarily walked up to the person to be the first one to be chained. The man then proceeded to chain my ankles. I reached down to my skirt and held it so he couldn't see anything. Until I die, I will continue to keep my dignity and pride.

Everyone else followed me lead until all of us were chained. The guard inside the cell nodded and the two others opened the door. They motioned us to move and we did as we were commanded. We slowly walked by the Laughing Coffin cell and I saw XaXa leaning against the wall, right next to the prison bars.

"May death rain upon them." XaXa smiled, quoting the same thing Mortifer said before he killed those three guys.

We ignored him and continued walking. We passed by all the other cells inside the prison. The inmates inside of them either ignored us or smiled as they watched us walk away to our deaths. Only a few of them looked as if they were trying to be symphatetic.

When we finally reached the entrance to the prison, we were greeted by Asuna, who leaned on the wall next to the door with her arms crossed. Her face looked stern and serius. She then looked up at me and slowly walked over to me and my friends.

"I don't know if this matters to anybody except for Violet, but I will be the one carrying out Mortifer's execution." Asuna declared, "A different person will handle you guys as I do not wish to kill my friends."

"Understood…" I answered for everyone else. It didn't really matter for me either, because either way, Mortifer is still going to die.

"Then let's hurry up and get out of here. It absolutely stinks in this place."

Ten minutes later

We were all being transported to the arena, taking the main road towards the city's southern gate. Mortifer was far ahead of us, all the way in the front with Asuna and a few other KoB guards. I took the lead for my group, with Zed right behind me and Cayonz at the very back.

I looked around the city, mainly at the rooftops. If what Asuna said about an escape plan is true, then Argo must be hiding somewhere nearby. Hiding amongst the crowd wouldn't do her any good since most people are taller than her. The rooftops are the most ideal since nobody would bother looking up, except for us Reapers since Mortifer is always above us.

Sure enough, I barely managed to spot Argo hiding behind a chimney. She wore a brown colored cloak that mildly blended in with the roof's shingles. I could see her eyes carefully observing the guards and the crowd. A few moments later, she noticed me looking at her. She smiled and began to speak.

"Mortifer's secret will be revealed." I barely heard her through the loud crowd. I don't even know how I did manage to hear her, but I did.

"Face forward!" the guard next to me demanded.

I did what I was told and faced forward. I continued walking, leaving Argo behind. What does she mean, Mortifer's secret? Does it have to do with the plan's name? Is that why Rizer looked so concerned when Asuna mentioned Operation: Darkness Blade? Is it related to his invisibility ability and his twin swords?

Whatever it is, I can't dwell on that thought at the moment. I will let Argo handle our escape strategy, just as Asuna told us to. If I'm too focused on something that isn't necessary and something happens where I am needed, I will react sluggishly to it.

When we were finally out of the city the line suddenly stopped and shouts came from the front of the line. All of us tried to see what was going on but there were many guards in front of us. The only thing I saw was a person clothed in black.

"Kirito that's enough!" I heard Asuna's voice shout from the front. Kirito? Mortifer's brother? "If you want to beat him up so bad then just be the executioner."

"Nah. I'm not going to go that far…" Kirito admitted.

He backed up from the line and started marching along with us. He put his hands to his pockets but gave me a thumbs up right before doing so. He must've put up that act for a reason, though I don't know what.

"Move!" my guard commanded.

I started walking again, head down. A crowd had already gathered up ahead of us. A huge banner hung on the side of the stadium. It read "Reapers of Sorrow – Execution Event". At first, I thought that it was a public execution outside the Area because a bug in the game has caused Duels with Mortifer to be unavailable. Now that I'm seeing it with my own eyes, I now see that they are also using it as a way to make money.

"Buy tickets now to see the Reaper's execution! Limited space available!" a salesman shouted. "Front row seats cost a hundred-thousand Cor each! Rows Two through Ten are fifty-thousand Cor! Anywhere else is fifteen-thousand!"

The growing crowd in front of the stadium shouted frantically, holding up bags of money. Such a big crowd and such expensive prices for the execution of our guild. Yet so many people want to watch.

"Here they come! The Reapers of Sorrow and their guild leader!" the salesman shouted. Now that I'm closer, I can see that the salesman wore a KoB outfit. So they're the ones who are wanting the money…

"You guys are one greedy guild. Even more than the Divine Dragon Alliance." Zed told the guard next to him.

"Shut up and face forward!" he yelled back.

"Get your tomatoes to throw! Ten Cor each tomato! Get a great offer of Ten tomatoes for only seventy-five Cor!" the salesmen continued.

Rage built up inside me. I wanted to throttle that salesmen and beat him up for letting them humiliate us. I looked at everyone else, who looked the same except for Paradox and Trish, who ignored the crowd. When Paradox looked up at me, she shook her head. Her eyes were red from crying. I gazed into her eyes and calmed down.

She's right… At this point we can't do anything. I just need to tell myself that I need to let Argo, Asuna and Kirito handle the escape plan. If I fight or try to escape, it will only make matters worse for us.

 **(Mortifer)**

 **Half an hour later**

The stadium has filled up completely, and I'm at the center of it all. The crowd kept shouting out threats that were meaningless to me. This is bad… This many people, and not in a Safe-Zone… I didn't expect any of this! I looked over to my friends, who kneeled nearby with blades touched to their throats.

Asuna also stood nearby, cleaning her rapier with a cloth. She held a worried, yet stern expression. Heathcliff was nowhere to be seen, but I suspect he is just waiting for it all to start. I need to stop this execution before that happens. If I don't and if my health reaches the red zone…

A normal player wearing fine clothing walked up to me and drew out a horn. He took a deep breath before blowing the horn. The sound echoed in the ruined stadium and the crowd went silent.

"On this day, the most wanted fugitive of Sword Art Online will meet his end. Behold! Mortifer, The Reaper of Sorrow! Most of you know him however, by his other name, The Reaper of Laughing Coffin!" The speaker announced. "With a kill count of seventy-four, he is by far, this game's biggest and most feared murderer!"  
"We, the top guilds of SAO, will not have any more of this madness! Let this be the day that this evil monster be vanquished and gone from this world, along with his friends whom helped him hide in the shadows!" The crowd went wild while I just scoffed. He already said that…

"The person who holds the honor to kill this man, is his own captor! Please give a round of applause to the Vice-Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath, Asuna! The Flash!"

The crowd went insane as Asuna waved at them. She drew out her rapier, Lambent Light and it shined gracefully in the sun. The crowd saw this scene as an angel sent by god to kill a demon terrorizing them. But in reality, it is more like a mindless human being opening the gates of oblivion. I need to tell her…

"The rest of the Reapers of Sorrow will be executed by volunteers from different guilds. Now, let us begin the killing!" the nobleman announced before quickly running away.

"Asuna!" I addressed to her. She turned to me with a look of disgust. "Please stop this at once! If you don't, all hell will break loose!"

"I don't listen to murderers like you. I already told you that…" she spat.

She walked towards me and her rapier flashed sky blue. In an instant, I was impaled at multiple places by Asuna's rapier. My health lowered down, but only by a little bit. If I had my armor on, it would be even less. Meanwhile, the crowd was getting louder, and the Voices even stronger.

"Please, I beg you!" I pleaded to her. "Stop this now!"

I tried moving but the guards holding my chains were steadfast. Asuna attacked once again and cut my cheek. I could feel my body weaken, but at the same time, getting stronger. Asuna kept attacking me until I reached to half health. She seemed pissed at the fact that I was a higher level than her.

It was taking a while to kill me. If she isn't going to stop by herself, then I need to do it myself. Using all of my strength and willpower, I grabbed onto my arm chains and flung the guards into each other. They all shouted and dropped to the floor, letting go of my chains. I quickly gathered the chains by curling them around my arm.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Asuna exclaimed.

She looked around the arena with a worried face, but that expression faded when she turned back to me. The face she held now is full of hatred.

She approached me but I used my chains and whacked her in the face, sending her flying a meter or so away from her original location. I need to thank Cayonz for the whip lessons if I get out of this alive.

Unfortunately, the system doesn't read "Chains" as an actual weapon nor a whip, so I can't use any Sword Skills with it. Regardless, I continued to fight. With my legs still bound, I can't really move around too much, making it harder to fight. Soon I found myself face-to-face with Asuna and two of her guards.

"What is going on here?!" A voice shouted. The crowd's wild shouting turned into quiet murmurs. I looked to the origin of the voice and saw The Living Legend himself, Heathcliff. "I see… The murderer has been freed of his chains?"

"Don't worry Commander, I can handle this myself." Asuna grunted.

She signaled for her guards to move away, which they did hesitantly. Now it was just me and Asuna. I barely had any time to react when she rushed over at me and began using Crucifixion, a six-hit combo rapier attack. Using the loops of the chains I wielded, I guessed where the rapier tried catching the end of the blade.

I managed to stop her as she let out the 4th hit of the combo and wrapped the chains around her rapier. I pulled hard against her sword, which went flying to the other side of the arena. Instead of backing up and letting someone else take her place, she ran around me, aiming to reach her sword. I desperately tried to whip her but the chains were slow and her Acrobatics skill is at a high level. She easily dodged all of my attacks, and doing it elegantly too.

She grabbed her rapier and started using a Sword Skill that every swordsman knows, even if they aren't a rapier user: Quadruple Pain. In an instant, four rapid thrusts at different points on my body, which all exploded simultaneously. The explosion wasn't meant to damage me, but rather paralyzes my body.

My health is now barely in the red zone. I could feel something build up inside of me, and the voices made my concentration waver. A blurry image of Asuna panted in front of me, clearly tired from fighting but proud of her victory. I could hear the crowd cheering Asuna on. If I can't fight back anymore, the only thing I can do now is rely on the power of persuasion.  
"Asuna… Please…" I begged her. "Don't hurt me any further, or all hell will break loose." I lowered my voice down to the point where I think only she can hear me. "I have a secret skill. A Unique Skill. It is a dangerous skill. If you hurt me any further, everything will turn into chaos!"

I was tearing up now, so desperate to stop her. This is for everyone's sake and my sake. I don't want to kill anymore... I've had enough of killing… I just want peace… I looked at Asuna in the eye. She stood there, staring at me for what felt like eternity until I saw her mouth twitch and formed a disgusted smirk on her face.

"Like I said. I don't listen to murderers like you." Asuna muttered. She kicked me in the face and brought her rapier down on me.

Although I felt no pain, it was as if something had broken inside of me. It felt like she held a key that locked away a piece of my heart. A piece of my heart that wanted nothing but chaos.

My heart skipped about three beats and all senses numbed. All I could focus on now, is the orange bar at the corner of my eye turning red and stopping. I wanted to scream "Kill me quickly" but I couldn't feel my mouth at all.

When I looked at Asuna's face, I saw a face full of hate transform into a face of confusion and fear. My vision turned dark and fuzzy and my heart rate increased. I tried my best to hold it back, but the game overpowered me. When I reopened my eyes, it was already too late.

A dark cloud had filled the stadium and my vision turned blood red. My desire for blood is at an all time high. The smell of fresh blood ready to be taken was tantalizing. The Knights of the Blood Oath have set-up quite a meal for me to feast upon. Oh how I love using the Surge of Darkness!

 **(Violet)**

I couldn't even keep track of what just happened. Mortifer and Asuna fought. Asuna stabbed Mortifer. And Mortifer got covered in a black cloud and exploded. What in the world is going on?

"May death rain upon them." A demonic voice spoke. I saw a flash of yellow and the ground around me shook violently. Did Mortifer just use Embracer on the ground? I couldn't tell with the dark cloud being in the way.

"Hey is everyone okay?" I heard Zed's voice through the smoke.

"Never better!" Rizer joked.

"I'm doing all right." I heard ViVi squeal. "What's with this cloud? Isn't it the same as the one we saw back when Laughing Coffin attacked us?"

"No clue! Let's wait for this cloud to disappear before doing anything!" I informed them.

As we waited for the darkness to go away, I heard the sounds of metal against metal. Sword against sword. I'm pretty sure the sounds rung throughout the entire stadium since it was so loud. Soon the dark fog began to dissipate and I immediately regret wanting to see through the smoke.

In front of me, was Mortifer holding a chain in one hand, and a sword in another. His clothes were completely gone now, revealing both of his tattoos. He faced Asuna and Heathcliff, who both seemed to have already taken damage. I looked at Heathcliff's health bar, which was barely above the yellow zone. He managed to bring his health down that fast?

And also, why does Mortifer look like a complete demon?! I could see a small reflection against Heathcliff's shield, and Mortifer no longer had the appearance of a human being, but rather that of a monster.

"Hungry! Thirsty!" Mortifer cackled in a demonic voice. "I want blood! Blood!" He recklessly attacked Asuna and Heathcliff. I thought for sure he was going to die from that assault, but when Mortifer's chain hit the ground, it split the ground completely. And when Mortifer attacks Heathcliff's shield, he gets pushed so far back.

Asuna activated Quadruple Pain again and attacked Mortifer, who rapidly dodged all attacks, surprising Asuna and myself. Never have I ever seen someone dodge or block Quadruple Pain. Suffering the Post-Motion Delay, Mortifer managed to kick Asuna away.

The way he kicked her didn't seem like a lot, but when he made contact with Asuna, she became a cannonball heading straight to the sides of the stadium. She was lost in a pile of rubble. I cowered in fear as I tried to decipher what had just happened. The force of that kick was enough to send Asuna flying and make a hole in the wall. Mortifer was never that strong! No way!

"Everyone! Evacuate the area!" the announcer shouted. The crowd started fleeing in terror, leaving behind food and drinks they have bought. Mortifer stopped fighting Heathcliff and backed away.

"Why are all of the pigs running away? I haven't even had my meal yet!" Mortifer cackled.

He jumped up into the air with superhuman strength and blocked one of the multiple entrances. He blocked the path of about twenty players, who drew out their weapons but were too scared to make a move. In one swing, Mortifer whipped three of them with his chain. They all smashed into the wall and their health began to drop. First to yellow, then to orange, then red then-…

Poof. Their bodies exploded into millions of polygons. My body shutdown completely, devastated at what I just watched. Mortifer killed them instantly despite not even wielding a proper weapon that can use a Sword Skill. He killed them instantly, with the weakest attack he can possibly do!

"Mortifer what the hell are you doing! Those are innocent people!" Zed roared right next to me.

But Mortifer didn't stop there. He hacked and slashed through the players. One by one they all dropped dead and disappeared. Five dead. Now nine. My heart was about to break. Mortifer… what happened to you? I counted eleven people dead until a newcomer approached Mortifer. Mortifer stopped attacking once they met eye contact. The guy wore a black coat and wielded a sleek black sword. It was Kirito.

"Mortifer stop this right now!" Kirito yelled in anger. Mortifer paid him no attention and also smacked his brother away. Kirito was sent flying towards us.

"Kirito-kun!" A girl voice shouted. Asuna came out of nowhere and caught Kirito as he fell. Kirito's momentum however knocked the both of them down. Asuna only acted as a cushion rather than catching him. When I looked back to Mortifer, who was no longer there. I looked around and turned back to the center of the stadium and both him and Heathcliff fighting.

"Commander!" Asuna called out. She then turned to face us. "This wasn't part of the plan at all, but we'll improvise! Kirito-kun, get Violet-chan and the rest of them out of here, now!"

"Right!" Kirito nodded. He motioned for us to follow him, "The Teleport Crystals are in my inventory, and I would rather be in a much safer place if I were to take them out. Now come on!"

We all nodded and began following him. We reached the exit of the arena, which was closed by a gate. While waiting for them to open it, I decided to look back.

Asuna was down for the count. Heathcliff amazingly blocked all of Mortifer's attacks with precision. At sometimes, Heathcliff would leave an opening which Mortifer would attack, but Heathcliff still managed somehow. He was much faster than anything I've ever seen. Not even Mortifer could block that fast!

The fight continued until Heathcliff made a mistake and stepped on one of Mortifer's leg chains. Mortifer whiplashed Heathcliff, who still blocked it, but was sent flying backwards in the process. Now Mortifer stood at the center of the stadium, triumphant and victorious. His voice was distorted and demonic when it left his mouth.

He laughed maniacally and looked over to my direction. Without thinking, I started slowly approaching him. At the same time, I heard a loud bang behind me and noticed that the gate closed with everyone else at the other side. They all noticed that I was left behind and started shouting.

"Violet what are you doing! Get out of there!" Kirito yelled.

"Violet-chan!" Paradox urged.

"Violet!" ViVi called out to me.

I ignored their calls completely and kept walking. I could hear Rizer and Konno struggling to lift the gate open but to no avail. Mortifer made eye contact with me and I could see that his eyes were no longer his. My heart and soul became so hurt at seeing Mortifer like this that I began to cry.

"M-Mortifer…" I sobbed. "What happened to you?"

Mortifer just stood there in silence a smile grew in his face. In an instant, Mortifer lashed me with his chain, sending me flying back to the gate where all my friends were at.

His face filled with rage, I saw Zed help Rizer and Konno lift the gate. The gate went up and Rizer locked it in place with a giant piece of wood. Zed drew his sword and was about to attack Mortifer when Mortifer suddenly dropped and started to scream. He clutched his head so that means he must be hearing the Voices. He really looked like he was suffering.

"V-Violet… I'm sorry…" Mortifer apologized. His voice was normal now and he pulled out a tiny blue crystal. A Teleport Crystal. I saw Heathcliff start searching his pockets and growled. Mortifer must've stolen it from Heathcliff.

"Teleport, Grandzam!" Mortifer shouted.

His avatar broke down and disappeared as he teleported to Grandzam. Heathcliff quickly opened his menu and went to the Guild section. He began sending a message to all members in KoB, probably saying that Mortifer is at Grandzam right now. But why is he there now?

"You guys should get out of here and go back to the Island…" Kirito muttered.

"How do you know that? That we lived on an island?" I asked him, scared of him revealing our true location.

"Argo and I are close, though she may not have told you that." Kirito stated. "I won't tell them where your actual base is. And I'm only doing this because I feel sorry for you guys. Don't get it wrong though. There's no way I could forgive my-"

He stopped himself, realizing he was about to reveal a secret that only a few of us know of. To Kirito, it was a secret that he has to keep for the sake of his friends and himself since he hates Mortifer completely.

"There's no way I could forgive Mortifer… Now go! This is from Argo!" He handed us nine Teleport Crystals to us and ran away by himself.

"Was this really Argo's plan? Operation: Darkness Blade or whatever?" Aqua said bewilderedly.

"Who cares, let's get back to the Island!" Rizer urged. He held his crystal and yelled, "Teleport, Panareze!"

We all followed him one by one, me being the last. I looked at the stadium, which was now empty since Heathcliff and Asuna had left. I could still hear screaming outside the stadium. The screams of the spectators who were all running away in terror

"Mortifer… What are you doing now?"

 **(Mortifer)**

 **55** **th** **floor, Grandzam**

It's taking all my energy and willpower to not kill any more people. Every time I see someone I get high on bloodlust. I have hurt a lot of people, trying to find the dungeon I was kept in. Thankfully, this is a Safe-Zone so I can't kill any of them no matter how hard I try. I've just been stumbling around since my Yami no Saji is running out.

I found the council room and began retracing my steps. I eventually found a doorway far away from all others. I opened the door to see a medium-sized room filled with cobwebs. Chains sat idly on the floor with nothing to hang onto. At the far corner of the room was a single chest.

I headed over to the chest to see the items that I had brought along with me when I was captured. I must've been asleep when they stored these in the chest. I hastily put on my gear and headed out the room with my sword in my hand.

Before I could even take three steps out of the room, three KoB members turned the corner. One of them being Heathcliff, the other two were just plain guards.

"There he is! After him!"

I quickly reached into my pocket to pull out a small blue stone that I carried with me during my capture. I found out long ago that when I use my Cloak of Darkness in front of someone, it uses the teleport animation then turns me invisible. However, if nobody sees me use my ability, it is an instantaneous cast and will turn me invisible immediately.

"Teleport, Danac!" I lied as I activated my Cloak of Darkness.

I waited a few seconds for my unique ability to kick in before running past the clueless KoB members. Heathcliff pulled out a real Teleport Crystal and repeated the words I spoke. His avatar disappeared and soon after, so did his followers.

"Idiots…"

I made haste and ran out of the building, using my game-breaking speed to dash through the hallways. I exited the steel palace and found the Teleport Gate. Right as my cloak ran out, I stood on the platform and shouted:

"Teleport, Panareze!"

 **24** **th** **floor Panareze**

My Yami no Saji is wearing out now. I can resist the urge of killing someone, but the Voices are still crying out inside my head. My adrenaline is also running out so all this running will definitely take its toll on me afterwards.

I can't return home yet… Definitely not after that massacre… I opened my menu and went to the Guild menu. I quickly set it so that Violet is now the leader of the Reapers of Sorrow. After that, I said my farewell and quickly left the Reapers of Sorrow.

I kept running around the floor, stumbling my way back to the place where I feel most at peace. It's been months since I've been to that place. Now that I think of it, I should visit the place more often. I looked towards the distance, where the mountains of the 24th floor almost touched the 25th. I must return to the place where I hid so I can be at peace again. I must return to the Edge of the World.

 **(Violet)**

 **The next day**

Nobody has come searching for us, and Mortifer is gone yet again. Argo is with us right now currently discussing the current situation.

"The clearing group is frantically searching for Mortifer. You guys, not so much." Argo informed us. "They set a really low bounty on you guys and a new bounty has been set on Mortifer."

Argo handed us the newspaper article he creates for the players, the _Weekly Argo_. On the front page was yesterday's execution. In fact, the whole thing is about the execution. I skimmed through all of it and found a list of the player deaths. Seeing them made me tear up a little bit. At the very back, Mortifer's bounty of two million Cor, twice as much as last time. They really are desperate…

"When Mortifer comes back, I'm going to smash his head into the wall!" Zed threatened. "That is _if_ he ever comes back! I hope he can just go rot in hell."

"Zed!" Paradox gasped. My eyes stung from Zed's words.

"He killed eleven people and hurt Violet!" Zed shouted in protest. "How can I let that slide?"

"It wasn't his fault…" Argo muttered.

"And how so? In fact, when we met for the first time, you said something about 'not worrying' about Mortifer panicking when his health became low. How come?" Zed growled. I flashbacked to that moment when ViVi had landed a critical hit on Mortifer and how he wasted a Healing Crystal even though he wouldn't have died.

"It's not for me to tell." Argo stated.

Zed quickly pulled out his sword and put it to her throat. Rizer also drew his sword but put it against Zed's neck. Trish was about to put her leaf whistle to her mouth but Zed threw a knife and destroyed the leaf, making Trish cry out in anger.

"Hey! I'm trying to help here!"

"Tell us what you and Mortifer are hiding." Zed threatened.

"Zed, back down!" Rizer commanded but Zed refused.

This is bad. Nobody has the heart to hurt each other like this, but Zed's been overrun with rage. I can't see a way we can get out of this cleanly, until Argo pushed Zed's sword away from herself.

"I won't tell you because I made a promise to him. But I can tell you where he is right now." Argo muttered.

"Where?!" I desperately exclaimed.

"The Edge of the World." Argo announced. "I saw him running in that direction yesterday when I was waiting for you guys at Panareze. If he's not there, then I have no clue. That's Mortifer we are talking about, and he's an unpredictable guy. Now if you excuse me, I must leave. The clearing group must be looking for me."

Argo looked at me and held out her hand. I knew what she was asking for so I threw her a Teleport Crystal.

"You know we are going to run out of those soon…"

"Yeah… I know… This'll probably be the last time…" She held the crystal high in the air and shouted, "Teleport, Grandzam!" Her avatar disappeared and we were once again alone on the Island.

The whole island was silent for almost a minute until Zed finally broke it, and when he did break it, he did it in the way I never expected him to. He grabbed me by the collar of my hood and pinned me against the wall of the house, shocking everybody and causing Rizer to pull out his sword once again.

"Zed what the hell!" Rizer shouted, "Put Violet down!"

"Zed what are you planning on doing to Violet?" Paradox cried out to her boyfriend.

"You…" Zed muttered, "You are going to take me to this, Edge of the World, and bring me to Mortifer. Once I get there, I'm going to do what I should've done long ago. If you don't bring me there, I'll just kill you right here, right now so then he will definitely come to me."

Fear paralyzed my body. I have never seen Zed in this state before. His eyes showed pure hatred for Mortifer. His masked face looked like that of a serial killer, or someone who is obsessed with revenge. Cayonz nor Rizer wanted to approach him. I couldn't help but to agree.

"Okay… I'll do it…" I told him, "But what are you going to do to Mortifer?"

"Is it not that obvious? I'm gonna kill him."

/

/

/

I love the Yami no Saji. Oh and if I didn't already say so, Yami no Saji is Japanese Romaji for Surge of Darkness.


	28. Chapter 27: Broken Bonds

**A few hours later**

Rizer and I led the way to the Edge of the World. We were struggling since it has been so long since we have been here the last time. We are currently climbing the side of the mountain, getting more tired the higher up we went. If only there was a clear path to the top. Plus, if Mortifer isn't even here, then we just wasted time and Zed will be infuriated. But I know he is here. I can sense him…

"I… Hate… Hiking!" Paradox wheezed.

"I know how you feel…" ViVi breathed.

"We are almost at the top. Just over this slope." I told them.

In an instant, both Paradox and ViVi ran up to the top and collapsed. When the rest of us got to the top, we bent over, having our hands on our knees from exhaustion.

"The air is thin up here." Aqua determined, "Thank god I'm sort of used to it with all the hunting I did with my dad."

While Aqua stood there, unaffected by the lower concentration of oxygen, everyone else tried their best to take in as much as possible. Once I recovered my breath, I looked around. I could see the sea and the point which it falls. I kept moving forward until I saw him. Mortifer was sitting on the edge of the cliff with his head down.

He seemed to have recovered all of his items from the Grandzam, including his cloak and mask, which he currently has on. Although I knew he heard us, he made no move. He just sat precariously on the edge of the cliff. We all slowly approached him until we were a few meters away.

"Mortifer?" I called out to him.

I waited for a response but none came. And that's when Zed ran up to him and kicked him with enough force to make him fall off. My body screamed as I watched Mortifer disappear.

"Zed what the hell!" Rizer exploded. We all ran up to the edge to look but when we all looked down to see, there was nothing.

"What… Where-Where did he go?" I gasped, body still screaming.

I searched the edge and looked from different angles but saw nothing. Nobody was hanging on the edge. And there was no way Mortifer could've fallen that fast. We were way too high up for him to fall into the ocean in mere seconds. Plus, he's not that heavy.

"I don't see a sign of him anywhere." Aqua muttered as she observed the water.

My mind began to worry until I heard a faint sound of rustling behind me. I turned and looked inside the cave. I stared in it for a couple of seconds until I saw a rock hit the cave walls, as if it was thrown. I slowly sneaked into the cave, with everyone else behind me. When I peered inside, I saw a cloaked figure sitting on a pile of straw, throwing rocks. When my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I realized it was Mortifer.

"Mortifer!" I called out. He must've used his invisibility to hide himself as he climbed back up and ran into the cave.

"Darkness…" Mortifer muttered in response. "Darkness…"

Mortifer kept throwing rocks, seemingly ignoring us. It reminded me of the aftermath of Laughing Coffin's invasion of the island. Mortifer is once again senile.

"Maybe I can knock some sense into him."

Zed smiled as he cracked his knuckles. He was stopped by Paradox who held him back. Although unhappy, Zed decided not to attack Mortifer again, for Paradox's sake.

"Darkness…" Mortifer kept repeating until he started spurting out words that made no sense to me. "The arachnid… The fall with the twilight dragon… Then that damned reaper… And the shadows… The shadows… And that silver haired guy, Cloud's darkness…"

Hearing Cloud's name, I became aware that Mortifer was thinking of the Cave. I quickly approached him and put my hands to his face. When my hands made contact with his mask, they froze from the sheer coldness of it.

"Mortifer, can you hear me?" I spoke.

"I hear you… Loud and clear." He responded.

"Thank god-"

"Cloud." He blurted right after.

I dropped my head in sadness as I realized that he can't actually hear me and that he must be recalling some old memory. He is probably reciting a memory he had with Cloud. It stayed like this for a while until I felt a hand grab my arm tightly.

I saw Mortifer's hand gripping my arm and I looked at his face. His eyes through the mask were his normal eyes, so I am assuming he is back to normal.

"You shouldn't have come here…" He told me. "In fact, how did you know I was here? Actually wait… Was it the Rat? I saw her as I teleported into the city." We all nodded as a response and Mortifer sighed.

"I see… So I'm guessing you want to know the truth?" Mortifer questioned. I heard a sword being drawn when he finished asking us.

"Yes, and if you don't tell us, I'll kill you myself and avenge all those who died by your hands." Zed threatened.

Everyone else drew their weapons, pointing it at either Zed or Mortifer. I was stuck between the both of them. I was about to protect Mortifer when he lightly pushed me away and grabbed Zed's sword. I thought he was going to disarm him like he usually does, but instead, he took off his hood and mask and put the tip of the blade inside his mouth, trapped between his teeth.

"Do it." Mortifer said desperately which shocked me. "In fact, I really want you to kill me. But you probably won't because you don't have the guts to do so. And that's only to make me sadder than I already am. I don't have the guts to commit suicide, but I don't want to live anymore either."

His words shocked everyone, including Zed, who began trembling. I couldn't tell if it was out of fear of his words, or nervousness of having to make the decision to kill Mortifer. Either way, it broke my heart to hear him say those words.

"Mortifer, stop talking such nonsense!" I sobbed.

"I've become a complete monster because of this game. And no Paradox, it is not your fault so stop blaming yourself for it. Just like Laughing Coffin's beliefs: It is not you who is doing the killing. It is the system that is doing it. It wasn't you who gave me the Darkness Blade. No, it was Akihiko and the System!"

At that moment, time froze as I tried to decipher his words. Darkness Blade?

"The what? The Darkness Blade? Like that plan Asuna, Argo, and Kirito came up with" Zed questioned. He drew his sword out of Mortifer's mouth and sheathed it.

"Plan? For what?" Mortifer questioned.

"Operation: Darkness Blade. Asuna told us it was a plan to help us escape from the execution." I informed him. When I did, his face fumed with anger.

"That stupid Rat! Why would she even try something like that!" Mortifer exclaimed, "Wait no, I never told her about it. It must be pure coincidence or she must've wanted to call it Darkness Blade. Wait… Did I tell her about it?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Zed yelled at him, "Will you just tell us what this Darkness Blade thing is?!"

"Only Rizer and Argo knows of this skill, though Argo knows the exact details of most of it." Mortifer confessed. "It is an Extra Skill… A Unique Skill…" We all gasped at his words.

"But-but" I stammered. "Wouldn't I have seen it because of our marriage status?"

"That's what I thought, but for some reason you can't see it. I'm sorry I took advantage of that…" Mortifer admitted. "I discovered it during August last year. The Darkness Blade… The skill lets me use the nature of the night and darkness to my advantage. It raises my Hiding, Straining, and Searching skill to a high level and gives me free perks for each of them. It also raises my STR, DEX, PER attributes while lowering my WLP to zero. And what you saw just now, me vanishing, I used an ability, the Cloak of Darkness to turn myself invisible. After I got knocked off, I cloaked and climbed back up to sit down inside the cave. I can only use it once a day for a limited amount of time."

"That's unbelievable!" Konno marveled and so did everyone else.

"But that's not it… Time for the bad news…" Mortifer began. "What you saw when you hid in the basement, and during the execution, that was caused by the Darkness Blade. It's another special skill, called the Surge of Darkness. The Yami no Saji. When I enter the red zone, it increases my power to extraordinary levels that even I don't know how powerful I am. It basically makes me invincible."

"But the consequence…" I pointed out.

"Yes…" Mortifer mumbled. "The consequences are severe, and immoral. I don't know how or why Akihiko made it like this, but he just did… The first consequence is that I can only use it when I hit the red zone, so if I get hit by an attack I will most likely die. Second is that it is only for a limited time. But those can't even compare to that of the last one…"

"It's your self-control… Isn't it?" I guessed. After all, the Mortifer I know would never kill innocent people like that.

"Yes… I lose both my humanity and self-control." Mortifer wept, tears forming. "My vision turns red with blood and my other senses sharpen. All that goes through my head is the desire to kill and the desire of blood. Friends or not, I attack them. I don't even know how the system manages to control me like that, but it just does. And as you already know, I'm haunted by those who I killed."

"Well, when I'm in that state, I suffer the voices even more. And once it does wear off, I am in too much pain to even do anything, not even show it. I've used the Yami no Saji three times now. Thrice, I let the effect waver. Twice, I have killed people using it. Only once did I ever have some form of self-control while under its effects. That one time is when I hit you Violet…"

He brought his head down in shame, crying tears. It was enough to also make me cry, but not as much as him. After a minute or so, Mortifer finally calmed himself down and looked at everyone.

"Since I told you about my Darkness Blade, I guess it won't hurt if I tell you about the other one…"

"Other one?" Zed questioned.

"You have another Extra Skill?" ViVi asked.

"Yeah… Again, both Rizer and Argo knows of it. The skill itself is self-explanatory." Mortifer told us.

He swiped open his menu and brought two items. The Sword of Light and the Sword of Darkness. The twin swords that everyone has seen by now. Powerful energy radiated form both swords. An aura of light and darkness oozed out of both blades, but Mortifer didn't stop there.

He went into his Skills menu and selected one of the skills he had. It was a skill I have never seen before, one with two cross-swords as its logo, He selected the skill once more and its bar turned golden. He put away his inventory and held both blades firmly.

It was silent for a moment. The only sounds that could be heard were the waves of the ocean outside and the drops of water coming from stalactites on the ceiling of the cave. Suddenly, both of Mortifer's swords glowed a bright blue color and we all backed away in shock.

"Starburst Stream!" Mortifer shouted.

He then continued by swinging his blades in such a way, only the system-assist could have done it. It was a Sword Skill! Normally, you wouldn't be able to use Sword Skills with two weapons at the same time, but for some reason, Mortifer can. He slashed his swords through the air multiple times until he finished it off by thrusting his left-hand sword out. The tip of the sword barely touching a shocked Zed's face. I counted a total of sixteen swift strikes.

Suffering the Post-Motion Delay, Mortifer stood still for about five seconds before moving again. He then sighed and sheathed his swords into the scabbards hanging from his waist.

"That… That… That was so cool!" ViVi cheered.

Everyone else also seemed to be thrilled from seeing such a skill. Even I was impressed. Zed is still staring at Mortifer, speechless.

"After all this time… You had such an amazing skill with you?" Zed marveled.

"I didn't want to tell anybody, but I was too curious and told Argo. Rizer found out by accident." Mortifer explained. "Having skills like these are one of the reasons I am a solo player in most MMORPGs. Fortunately, I have found the benefit of having friends with you, but also discovered the consequences."

Mortifer's gaze affixed past Zed's shoulders and he went outside. I also followed his gaze and saw that there were clouds forming in the sky. Mortifer brushed past Zed and everyone else and exited the cave while I followed right behind him.

He stopped right at the edge of the cliff, his eyes fixated towards the sky. A storm is brewing, and it's doing so pretty quickly. It's just how Aincrad works. I held onto Mortifer's arm and enveloped it with mine,

"I'm sorry I never told you about this… I should have since I know you will find a way to help me cope with it." Mortifer addressed to me.

"No… It's okay…" I confessed to him. "If you thought that it was for the best, then I trust your decision. I just want you to live your life, and live it with me. Because no matter what, my heart will be forever yours. And if we ever get separated from one another, I swear that I will fight, until the day I see you again."

After I told him that, Mortifer grabbed my hand with his spare, and held it tightly. His hands felt cold, as if all the blood had been removed. But soon after, I could start feeling the warmth return. I looked up to his face and saw tears streaming down his cheek.

"Yeah… I love you too Violet."

 **(Mortifer)**

 **A few days later, back in the Island**

I've repaired the broken bonds I had with Violet and my friends. Although, Zed did say that he will never forgive me, which I was completely fine with. I don't deserve forgiveness anyway. Even if others do forgive me for my actions, there is no way I will ever forgive myself.

Everyone has also tried changing their appearance a bit, specifically their hairstyle or hair color. We've all gotten rid of our cloaks and stashed them away into our storage since black cloaks are now a sign for suspicious people. I however am the only one who still wears my cloak since I am still the least likely to get spotted. Plus, it doesn't feel right for me if I don't wear one.

We are all back at the Island, and we've decided to fortify it. Since we are wanted by the Clearing Group, it didn't seem to hurt for us to create a gate acting as a barricade for any intruders. Nobody would dare swim in the deep water because of the monsters there. Sure they are low-level, but fighting in water is pretty difficult. With everyone working on the gate, we finished it in no time. Paradox and Trish has also made sure to replant the absurdly fast growing trees at the forest next to us so we don't seem suspicious to any wanderers.

Since the gate is done, everyone has gone to do whatever they want. Rizer, Zed, and Cayonz had gone off to the 55th floor to find more of the Crystalline Ingots for Rizer. Although I told them not to since they have to go through Grandzam, they still persisted.

Paradox, Aqua, and Trish have also gone off, to the Flower Garden at the 47th floor. They informed me that they are going to explore the floor a bit in order to get some "fresh air". Violet ordered both Konno and ViVi to go with them since the three girls are not exactly fighters. That only leaves me and Violet alone in the island. We sat on the steps of the gazebo, admiring the nature around us.

"Hey Mortifer… What did they do to you when you were captured?" Violet asked me. "Did they torture you or something?"

"Torture? No. That's not really possible in Aincrad." I answered her. "The only form of torture you can give to a player is by threatening their life. But you already know that's not going to happen to me."

"I know, that's why I am worried." Violet admitted.

She leaned against me and put her head to my shoulders. The wind blowed her hair against my face which I brushed away. This may be the first time in a long time that we actually get to spend some alone time together. I would have liked to have gone exploring all of Aincrad with Violet, but our home is also nice. As I watched the waves on the shore of the island beat down on the sand, I remembered something important. That look when Heathcliff interrogated me, and during the fight…

"You wanted to know what happened to me while I was held captive, right Violet."

"Earlier yeah. What's wrong?" she replied.

"It has been on my mind lately. I've grown suspicious of someone. Real suspicious…"

"And who is that?"

"The Living Legend, Heathcliff…" I told her. "He is the one who interrogated me. But something felt weird about him and the way he acts. I got even more suspicious when I fought him during the execution."

Through the whole fight, both Heathcliff and Asuna were on the defensive. I'm relieved and also surprised that I didn't kill Asuna, but Heathcliff is a different story. I only managed to scratch him down to fifty percent of his health. But once I did, something felt off…

"Is it because you couldn't bring his health lower than half?" Violet questioned me. "I noticed it too. Whenever Heathcliff left an opening, you would attack it right away. But at the same time, Heathcliff somehow still manages to block."

"So you did notice it…" That relieved me a little bit, since I thought I was going insane during that fight, "Yeah, it's impossible for him to block that fast. It's like he already knew where I was going to attack, or the Combat-Assist system just went haywire. Are there any other reasons that his health has never dropped below half?"

"Well, there is Immortality." Violet pointed out. "But that can only be given to Game Masters, right?" I nodded my head in response.

I stared at the sky, observing the clouds and thinking. Where is Kayaba Akihiko? What man would create an amazing game like this, yet don't play it? Thoughts raced inside my head. Immortality. Holy Sword. The Unique Skill that is given to the strongest player, who also happens to be the leader of the strongest guild. I'm foolish for thinking such a scenario, but it's not impossible. In fact, it may be the most likely scenario. But for now, I think I'll just live peacefully here in Aincrad.

/

/

/

The new few chapters is just Mortifer following Kirito, so you can watch the Anime Subbed/Dubbed and get some lines straight from them in my story. But about this chapter, there is another reference when Violet is talking to Mortifer. The SAO quote "No matter what, my heart will be forever yours. And I will fight, until the day I see you again." is referenced there. If you search it on Google, you get a nice SAO background.


	29. Chapter 28: The Shadowy Stalker

**A month later, October 2024, 74** **th** **floor, in a forest**

I left the Island the four days after my execution to go to the upper floors. I told them I wanted some alone time, but I didn't tell anybody where I was going since I don't want them to follow me. And so far, it's paid off. My character has finally surpassed level one-hundred.

Most of my combat skills have already been maxed out except for Dual Blades, which is at nine-hudred eighty-eight. It is the only skill that seems important to me that hasn't been maxed out yet. Luckily, I have the Sword of Light and Sword of Darkness with me. Being indestructible, I have made good use of it on this floor's labyrinth. I estimate that I will get Dual Blades to one-thousand and complete it in a day or two unless I happen to fight a boss.

I was brimming with excitement when I heard the familiar cry of an animal. I stopped moving and freezed. I opened up my ears, making sure I heard what I just heard. The familiar sound cried out once again and I smiled greedily. That sound… I know that sound!

I started sneaking quietly towards the sound. Ahead of me I saw a bush rustle and so I stopped and hid behind a tree. I used my Searching skill and observed the shrub. Sure enough, a name popped up above the shrub along with a yellow cursor. The name read "Ragout Rabbit". Memories of the delicious rabbit Violet cooked flowed into my head. It was truly a wonderful experience. And now, I can experience it all over again!

I moved away from the tree and slowly approached my prey. From my belt, I materialized a Throwing Pick and readied it on my hand. There is no way I can catch up to it with terrain like this, so it's better to use range. I was close enough to see it munching on a small plant.

Suddenly, I saw something hit a nearby tree the rabbit lifted its head and let out a fearful cry. Shoot, did it notice me? I got my answer when it jumped to the air then got hit by some projectile. I panicked and backed away, hiding behind a tree. There's someone else?

"Yes!" I heard a male voice call out.

That voice… It sounds so familiar. I quietly peeked around the tree and couldn't believe my eyes. Wearing all of his black clothing and his black sword strapped on his back, Kirito held the Ragout Rabbit Meat proudly in his hands.

"Now what to do with you…" Kirito talked out loud.

If only he and I actually acted like brothers to each other, maybe I can get Violet to cook it… He stood there and stared at the rabbit meat until he finally stored it in his inventory. He reached into his coat's pocket and pulled out a Teleport Crystal.

"Teleport, Algade!" The crystal broke and his avatar disappeared, leaving me alone here in the wilderness.

"Algade huh?" I wondered. He must be looking to sell it or something of the sort unless his home is in that city.

I sighed in disappointment since my brother had taken my prey. I scanned the area around me but I see no Ragout Rabbits nearby. Compared to the Cave, the chances of seeing a Ragout Rabbit out here is close to impossible.

I stretched my arms as I looked to the sky. For the past week, I've been acting as a solo player of the Clearing Group. In fact, I think I've explored all of this floor's Labyrinth and even found the boss room. It wouldn't hurt to take a break from farming now won't it? Maybe I'll go back to what I did at the start of the game and follow Kirito. It's always interesting to follow someone around, even if you are being a stalker. I pulled out a Teleport Crystal for myself and shouted,

"Teleport, Algade!" The crystal broke and I felt my body be transported to the 50th floor.

 **50** **th** **floor, Algade**

I already miss the peace and tranquility of the forest. This place may be the most dangerous city for me to go in since it is also the most crowded. But I can also use the city's messy streets and rowdy atmosphere to my advantage. I quickly took to the shadows and climbed up the first building I spotted. I scanned the area and managed to spot Kirito walking towards a very cramped up section of Algade. I guess you could consider it the slums.

"Now where are you heading off to Kazuto?"

I traversed the city using the rooftops, jumping over and above the tiny streets of this section of Algade. Eventually Kirito stopped in front of some place at the corner of the street.

"Okay, it's settled! Twenty-five Dust Lizard's hides for five

Hundred Cor!" A faint, but deep voice announced form below. A guy with a spear walked out of the building, looking very tired or possibly annoyed. "Pleasure doing business with you! Please visit again!"

"Business seems to be going shamelessly as usual!" Kirito spoke up.

"Kirito." The deep voice called out again. "Our shop's motto is _Buy cheap, Sell cheap_. Can't change that."

"Yeah, I don't think that _Sell Cheap_ part is true Agil." Kirito responded.

Agil? He has a shop here in Algade? How come I've never heard of this from Rizer or Konno? Agil after all was part of the Rizer Squad which is now disbanded due to our dramatic departing from the Front Lines.

"Now don't go ruining my name with those lies." Agil laughed.

"They aren't lies. They are just unpleasant truths." Kirito responded.

Soon, I became more curious of the conversation and dropped down to an empty and small balcony below me. Even in broad daylight, the balcony received almost none of it with the streets being so small and the direction which that virtual sun is beaming down on. A perfect place for me to hide.

"Unbelievable! Is that a Ragout Rabbit?" Agil exclaimed. "That's an S-Class ingredient, ain't it? Where in the world did you get this?"

"The 74th floor. I was going back to my place to call it a day when I heard its cry." Kirito explained to him.

As I kept listening to him from above, I noticed a crowd gather nearby the store. There was shouting and cheering. I couldn't tell what was going on until two people dressed in white and red clothing emerged from the crowd. My mind went into panic mode when I saw one of their faces. It was Asuna! Beside her is a KoB member who is pushing the ever-growing crowd away.

"Keep your hands off of the Lady." The KoB guy shouted.

They continued walking and stopped in front of Agil's shop. My mind relaxed a little bit since they didn't see me, but now I have to be even more careful when following Kirito.

"Wouldn't you rather eat the rabbit instead?" I heard Agil's voice call out.

"Would love to! But where in the world can I find a cook?" Kirito exclaimed in response. Asuna and her guild mate both entered the shop now.

"Hey Kirito." Asuna's voice spoke.

"Chef acquired!" Kirito exclaimed after a short pause.

"What? What chef?"

"Oh hey there Asuna! What brings you to a dump like this?" Kirito's voice seemed nervous, as if something just happened.

"Was just checking to see if you're alive. The next boss raid meeting is coming up in a few days."

"You have me in your friends list. Why don't you just check from there?"

"Whatever. At least I now know you're alive. Anyway what were you talking about? Something about a chef?"

"Oh yeah, where is your cooking level at? I have something you may like."

"I maxed it out last week." I heard her brag. To me, it's nothing to brag about. Violet maxed out Cooking a long time ago, even before we met ViVi and everyone else. "So what is this thing you wanted to show me?"

"Here it is." I heard a quick squeal from Asuna.

"Is that a Ragout Rabbit?!" Asuna exclaimed

"Hell yeah. If you can cook it up for me, I'll give you a bite." A second later, I heard Kirito yelp as if someone had grabbed him.

"I want half. Deal?" Asuna's voice seemed threatening.

"Deal." Kirito agreed nervously.

"Alright!" Asuna exclaimed happily

"Sorry Agil. Guess I'm keeping the rabbit."

"Yeah but you'll at least let me have a bite, right?" Agil pleaded.

"Sorry man. I'll write you a two-page review about the taste though. Promise!" And with that, Kirito, Asuna and the other KoB member exited the store.

They started walking away, so I climbed back up onto the roof tops. I started following them and noticed that they stopped. It seems there's an argument going on between Asuna, Kirito, and the KoB member.

"Kirito is probably ten levels above you Kuradeel."

"Are you saying that I'm inferior to a person like him?" Kuradeel, the KoB member who is following Asuna argued. "Oh I see. He's one of those Beaters! Yes, I remember you now. Lady Asuna, I will not let this scumbag into your home!"

When Kuradeel said "scumbag", a cold feeling grew in my head. It was something I haven't felt before. A feeling of protectiveness and anger. Why am I feeling this now? Is it because Kuradeel directed that insult towards Kirito, my little brother?

"Kuradeel!" Asuna snapped. "Leave for today. That's an order."

And with that, she grabbed Kirito by his belt and started dragging him away from Kuradeel and the crowd around him. I watched as Kuradeel angrily ran the opposite direction, mumbling something I couldn't hear.

I continued to follow Asuna and Kirito, who from the looks of it are heading to the Teleport Gate. They brushed past the city crowd, earning them some looks. The gaps between the building rooftops kept getting farther and farther apart, to the point where I have to have a running start before I jump. Kirito and Asuna found the Teleport Gate and Asuna whispered something into Kirito's ear which I couldn't hear. She then stepped onto the platform and yelled:

"Teleport, Selmburg!" Her avatar disappeared into polygons and got transported to the 61st floor. Kirito also stepped onto the platform and shouted.

"Teleport, Selmburg!"

As I watched his avatar disappear, I scaled down the rooftop of the building I stood on. Since I didn't want to attract attention, I activated my Cloak of Darkness and headed towards the Teleport Gate. I quickly stood on the platform and yelled,

"Teleport, Selmburg!" That same tingling sensation of being teleported returned and I was transported off to Selmburg.

 **61** **st** **floor, Selmburg**

Once again, I first took to the shadows, then climbed onto anything that gave me high ground. Right now, it was currently a bunch of pillars that were pretty far apart. But with Kirito and Asuna being so far down and easy to spot, I can keep a farther distance so they don't notice me while jumping around. They are also far enough for me to not be able to hear them, but I guess its fine.

The sun is also setting on the horizon. The sun created a deep shade of scarlet against the sky, which made the surrounding environment even more beautiful. As I admired the sunset, Kirito and Asuna entered a suburban-type area of Selmburg and stopped in front of a house, which I am assuming is probably Asuna's place.

As she opened the door, I made a risky jump from the current pillar I stood on, to a faraway rooftop. Luckily I was able to reach it and grab onto the gutters before I could fall and crash down to the ground. I pulled myself up and hid behind a chimney.

From here, I can see Kirito and Asuna through the window of her house. I can't hear them from here, but I feel uncomfortable if I get any closer to them. Following someone is creepy enough already, but invading their own private property, even if it is not technically _inside_ the house, that's a whole nother' level. I'll just stay here for now I guess.

 **Half an hour later**

The sun has set, and they've started eating. As I suspected from a master cook, Asuna turned the rabbit into a stew, just like what Violet did the first time we had it. While the two of them happily devours their meal, I looked to the sky, watching as the stars of the night sky appeared one by one. Looking at this sky… It reminds me of when I met Violet.

When I found her, she was frail and poisoned. Usually in a normal game, I would leave a person like that to die. After all, what good can you get from a corpse that will disappear in a few seconds? But since this is SAO, Violet was a completely different story.

I'm still very glad that I saved her that day and allowed her to join me on my adventures, though I'm not entirely sure if it's a memory I would want to experience again. I laughed on the inside as I recalled the memory of me knocking myself out. Soon the streets became so quiet that I could actually hear Kirito and Asuna from this distance. I looked and noticed that Asuna has a knife held directly in front of Kirito's face. Surprised and interested, I turned my attention back to them.

"My bad. Everyone except you will slow me down when in a party." Kirito nervously told her.

"Ok. That's good." Asuna replied as she withdrew her knife from Kirito's face, making Kirito sigh in relief. "Now how about we team up again, like the good ole' days."

"What?!" Kirito stood up from his chair, perplexed.

"Black is my lucky color this week anyway. And you're the Black Swordsman."

"Hold up! Don't you have stuff to do with your guild!? You can't just bail on them!"

"It's not like we have leveling quotas to meet."

"Then what about Kuradeel, your bodyguard?"

"I'll just ditch him. Honestly that guy is a creep."

At that last statement, Kirito sat back down and tried taking a sip of his tea, only to find it empty. He looked at Asuna, who smiled and refilled his cup. Afterwards, Asuna opened her menu and invited Kirito to form a party with her. As if ignoring the invitation, Kirito sipped his tea and said:

"The front lines are dangerous though." In a flash, Asuna put a knife in front of Kirito's face, scaring him a little bit. My brother raised his hands in a surrender-like fashion. "Okay. You win…"

He accepted the invitation and Asuna withdrew the knife from his face and gave Kirito a reassuring smile.

And with that the two friends started cleaning up the mess they made. Kirito got back into his combat gear and exited the house with Asuna right behind him. With my back turned so they don't see me, I eavesdropped on them.

"Thanks for the meal. I guess I'll let you cook it next time." Kirito suggested, but then sighed immediately after. "Oh what am I saying? I'll never get my hands on that rabbit ever again…"

"It'll be fine! You can make good food even without S-Class ingredients." Asuna reassured him. It was silent for a few moments, making me turn around to see what they were doing. Right now, they are observing the night sky.

"Seeing the way this world is now… Is this what the great Kayaba Akihiko wanted?"

"No idea…" Asuna responded to his question. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow! Nine in the morning at Kamdet, got it?"

"Got it."

They waved each other off and went their separate ways. Asuna went back inside her home and Kirito started heading back to the Teleport Gate.

"Kamdet huh?" I talked to myself out loud. "I guess I'll just keep trailing you for now Kazuto."

 **The next day, 9:30 AM, 74** **th** **floor Kamdet**

I stayed at an inn at this floor last night. Luckily nobody became suspicious of me when I did so. It's not every day you see a cloaked guy with a mask walking around town. Now, I am watching Kirito from an alleyway faraway, out of listening range. The rooftops of the buildings in this town don't provide much cover, so I chose to stay on the ground instead. All we were waiting for now is Asuna, who is half an hour late.

Kirito and I waited a few more minutes until the Teleport Gate glowed and a feminine scream sounded from it. A girl in white clothes suddenly lands on top of Kirito and buries him. Noticing the hazel brown hair and slim rapier, I recognized it to be Asuna. She stayed on top of Kirito for a few seconds until she screamed once again and slapped Kirito. The force was enough to send Kirito flying and right into a small pillar.

"Well I'm awake!" Kirito groaned.

He stood up and noticed Asuna, who had her arms crossed around her chest. His expression went from dazed to mortified. He held his right hand into the air and clenched his fingers in a way that looks like he was squeezing something- Oh... Oh Kirito… You have really messed up now…

"H-Hey Asuna! How's it going?" Kirito nervously greeted her.

Asuna's face showed irritation, making Kirito even more worried. Suddenly, the Teleport Gate started glowing again and Asuna ran behind Kirito. I looked back to the gate and saw Kuradeel emerge from the light. He scanned the area until he spotted Asuna.

"Lady Asuna! Why are you behaving like this? I am only following my orders to protect you. Now let's go back to headquarters." Kuradeel stated.

"How is lurking around my house in the morning supposed to be protecting me?" Asuna exclaimed. My eyes widened at her words. Like I said, following them like this may be creepy, but doing something like what Kuradeel did…

"You have a habit of going AWOL. My mission is to observe you even when in Selmburg."

"What?! The commander did not order for such a thing!"

"My mission is to guard you. That includes everywhere including your home." I face palmed myself as I realize how messed up this guy is. Well… Not that I can say that to him when I've killed more than fifty people…

"No it doesn't you idiot!"

"I wish you were a little more understanding about this ma'am." Kuradeel approached Asuna and grabbed her by the wrist. "Now let's go back to headquarters."

Before Kuradeel could drag her off, Kirito stopped him.

"Sorry pal," Kirito started, "but I have your commander reserved for the day. Don't worry, I'll take responsibility for her security and make sure that nothing happens to her. You can go back to your headquarter alone."

"You insolent punk!" Kuradeel exploded. Again, that feeling inside me popped up since Kuradeel insulted my brother. "I am a member of the glorious Knights of the Blood Oath! A weakling like you can't possible protect her!"

"I can do a much better job than you."

"You got one big mouth kid." Kuradeel's face is brimming with anger. "Let me just see how tough you really are."

Kuradeel opened his menu and selected a few options that I couldn't see. A pop-up notification appeared in front of Kirito. From the looks of it, I think Kuradeel has challenged Kirito to a duel. What an idiot…

Kirito turned to Asuna and muttered something I couldn't hear. Kirito then proceeded and accepted the challenge. A Duel banner appeared above them along with a countdown timer.

"Asuna-sama, please step back!" Kuradeel commanded as he unsheathed his sword. "I'm going to prove to you that I am the only one capable of protecting you!"

And he said that Kirito had a big mouth… This guy won't stop yapping about his abilities as a bodyguard.

Asuna stepped away from Kirito, giving him space to bring out his sword and fight. His sword… I think that's an Elucidator. A Demon Sword just like Rizer's, though it falls in the One-Handed Sword category. I've been wanting to get one, but I never really had the time to obtain such an item. Now I don't need to since I carry my twin blades with me all the time.

The countdown timer kept ticking. Ten seconds left. A large crowd built up during that time so I decided to climb on top of the building I was leaning against. Watching from above, I felt the atmosphere's intensity build up as the timer ticked until it hit zero.

Kirito and Kuradeel charged at each other, both activating a Sword Skill at the same time. I needn't to watch this fight since I already knew who is going to win. All it took was one look of Kuradeel's weapon. It was a Two-Handed Sword that seems heavier and bigger than Elucidator. But the problem with the sword, is that it had too many decorations. I know my brother enough to tell that he is going for a weak point. A sword with that many decorations is bound to have a weak point.

Kuradeel and Kirito were right on top of each other when their swords met. The sound of metal against metal rung through the air and both Kirito, and Kuradeel slid past each other. I looked at Kuradeel, who's completely shocked. His fancy looking sword had been cut into two pieces by Kirito. The second half lied on the ground and disappeared into polygons, along with the main part that Kuradeel held.

Kirito had used a skill that it outside the system, or an unofficial skill. An Outside System Skill, called Arms Blast. I know of it since I've done it a few times, but I never attempt to do it since I find no need when most of my opponents are so weak. Kirito then sheathed his weapon and turned to face Kuradeel.

"You wanna try again but with a different weapon? I'll be willing to let you." Kirito taunted Kuradeel.

Filled with rage, Kuradeel quickly opens his menu and searches for another weapon. He brings out a small dagger, which is also decorated but not as heavily. Though it is also a bad choice since Elucidator has a much longer reach. Kuradeel charged at Kirito but out of nowhere, Asuna knocked the tiny dagger out of Kuradeel's hands with her rapier. The whole crowd gasped in.

"Ah, Asuna-sama…" Kuradeel stuttered. He then pointed at Kirito with a face full of hatred. "I don't know how he did it, but he cheated! You saw him destroy my sword! He must've used a trick to do that! Because there is no way I could've lost to a scumbag Beater like him!"

"Kuradeel. That's enough." Asuna glared at him. "I am the Vice-Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath, and I relieve you of your duty as my bodyguard. Return to HQ and wait until further notice."

"What?! You can't be serious!" He glowered at Kirito furiously, "Damn you… God damn Black Swordsman…" He continued to glare at Kirito until he finally gave up and sluggishly headed to the Teleport Gate, "Teleport, Grandzam." His body disappeared and Kirito won the duel.

The crowd just stood there in astonishment. Nobody moved except for one person. I tunnel-visioned on this person and noticed he wore a black cloak. He turned away from the fight and became the first spectator to leave. Though looking at him now, something felt off. I quietly climbed down the building and avoided the crowd. I'll follow Kirito and Asuna later. First, I need to see who this guy is.

The both of us stuck to the shadows of the city streets. He doesn't seem to notice me yet, though I think he will soon. Luckily nobody payed us any attention so I don't have to worry about hiding that much. Suddenly the guy turned into an alleyway and from the looks of it, there is no way out of it except for the way in. I stopped right in front of the alleyway and took a peek. The cloaked guy just stood there now, his back turned to me. He has definitely noticed me. That's why he turned into the alleyway.

"How's XaXa and Black?" the cloaked guy spoke. My eyes widened as since my ears recognized that voice.

The guy quickly turned around, his cloak flailing in the wind. From this view I could see the weapon he wielded. A nasty looking dagger that has the appearance of a large butcher knife. Mate Chopper. I know of only one person who wields it.

"PoH…" I grunted

"It's been a while Mortifer." PoH responded, pulling up his hood in the process. He had a smirk on his face. "Your execution was quiet a blast."

"How did you escape the invasion against your guild?"

"Simple really. I just ran off before they even got to our base."

"And so you let everyone else to die or be captured?"

"It's everyman for himself Mortifer." I gritted back anger at him. The voices in my head soon began growing and so I decided to calm down.

"Anyway what are you doing so close to the Front Lines?"

"I could say the same to you." PoH chuckled.

"Helping out an old friend level himself up." I lied, "So what are _you_ doing here?"

"Well I'm running from the clearing group of course. Those blasted fools have these scouts scurrying around all over Aincrad. All of them are significantly higher level than me so there's no way I can fight them. A few times I was mistaken for you actually. Maybe you should change your outfit to not be like us. I'm amazed they haven't found your island yet."

"For your information, I've been wearing a black cloak since the beginning of this game. And it's also not my fault you can't hide as well as us."

"Heh… You may be right." He opened his menu and put his hand on his forehead. "Oh my, would you look at the time! I need to be heading off now."

"Fine, but let me give you a warning." I threatened him, "If you so much as touch my guild-, no not just my guild. My friends too. I will hunt you down myself. And you of all people know my skills in the hunt."

"Bah, don't worry about me." PoH laughed as he pulled out a Teleport Crystal. "Now uh, don't you have someone to follow?" I grit my teeth in anger as he said those words. He knew I was lying. "Teleport, Ronbaru!"

PoH disappeared to someplace I don't remember and I was left alone. I hastily left the alleyway and headed towards the floor's labyrinth, where Kirito and Asuna should be heading to right now.

 **A few hours later, 74** **th** **floor Labyrinth**

We're deep inside the labyrinth now, and it's getting harder for me to find a hiding place with such a plain dungeon. I've stuck to just watching them from a far distance. Far enough for me to not be able to hear them and them not noticing me. Sometimes, I myself encounter some monsters so I have to lure them away from Kirito and Asuna so they don't notice me. Though I can just leave them be. They are probably searching for the boss room, which I already the location of.

If I leave them be, I can level up my Dual Blades. Right now it is at 994 which to me is amazing. I had only recently started using this skill, since it is much harder to hide than Darkness Blade. We never really farm alone since it's always easier in a party and we get a bonus since we are a guild. This skill was only at the lower hundreds a couple months ago. And ever since I started power-leveling my skills like crazy here, I'm on the verge of Completing most of my needed skills.

I finished off the last of the enemies that were currently in my area and checked on Kirito and Asuna. They were both gone now so I entered Tracking mode. I looked on the floor and saw their footprints. They left only a minute ago. I observed their tracks and noticed they are heading towards the boss room door. I followed their path while using my map and trailed them.

Eventually I got to the large corridor that led to the boss room. The problem with this corridor, is that there really is no hiding place here. If I try to even step in this corridor while they are looking to my direction, they will surely spot me, or at least spot movement.

I decided to sit around the corner of the hallway, out of sight from them. I watched them using Eagle-Vision since they were fairly far away. They approached the boss room door and stood in front of it. I can see them as they talk, but I hear no sound especially from this far. Even a Darkness Blade user has limits to what they can hear.

I watched them as they drew out their swords and readied a Teleport Crystal in their spare hand. It seems like they are going to enter the boss room and check out the boss. Together, they pushed open a door and revealed a pitch black room. They took a few steps in and lowered their guard. Is the boss room empty? I can't see anything from here, and if they lower their guard then it must be. Though I got my answer when they took a few more steps into the boss room and blue lights suddenly appeared from inside.

The blue lights circled around the whole boss room and illuminated the whole place. As I strained my Eagle-Vision even further, I can see it. The boss. It was a colossal humanoid monster with a ram as its head, like a satyr. But what's different is the piercing red eyes it held along with a very lively snake as a tail. In its hand, it held a sword that is about half its height, and held a similar appearance to Cloud's Buster Sword. The giant goat demon picked up its sword and roared so loudly, I could clearly hear it from here. I heard Kirito and Asuna scream in terror as the demon chased after them with its sword. Kirito and Asuna exited the boss room but kept on running, getting closer to me.

I panicked and quickly ran away also since I don't want to be spotted. I ran while looking at my map to find the Safe-Zone Area of this dungeon. That area has a lot of places I can hide at. I'm thinking that Kirito and Asuna are also heading there since they are probably done with this dungeon for today.

 **A couple of minutes later, in the Safe-Zone Area**

Man those two sure are fast. I had to run with my speed bug just so I wouldn't be spotted. And now, I'm terribly exhausted. When was it when I first started losing insane amounts of stamina when I ran that fast? I believe it was right when I entered the Cave. If only I didn't lose so much energy when I run that fast, the dungeons would've been so much easier.

"God why am I thinking about that stupid dungeon again." I thought out loud.

I found a very high rock ledge that I can use to hide. Currently, I am trying to catch my breath and I'm also watching Kirito and Asuna while being fifty meters off the ground. Thankfully, I can eavesdrop on them even from this distance so I can hear their conversations semi-clearly.

"That boss…" Asuna wheezed, "Looks tough…"

"From the looks of it, it only had a great-sword as a weapon." Kirito pointed out, "So it probably has special attacks as well."

"We're going to need to gather a bunch of forwards with high defensive stats and keep switching them."

"We'll probably need about ten shield-users. The best we can do now is to harass it and see how it fights. If only the monsters of these floors actually had a predictable attack pattern… I kinda miss the Rizer Squad."

"Shields…" I heard Asuna mutter. Using Eagle-Vision I saw her look away from Kirito as if she were thinking.

"Something wrong?" Kirito asked her. She looked back towards Kirito.

"You're - something, aren't you?" She is talking quieter now, and I hear noises coming from down the corridor. I also missed what she told Kirito.

"What do you mean?" Kirito asked.

"It's just weird you know… The biggest advantage of using a shield -"

I heard more noises coming from down the corridor. I averted my gaze from the two and looked down the corridor. I saw a party of players in red armor. I only managed to make out the details of one person. An orange-haired guy with a bandana. The guy also wielded a Katana as a weapon. Is that… Klein? From the way he fights and looks, it has to be him.

I watched as him and his guild, the Fuurinkazan, take down the monsters they were fighting. I looked back to Kirito and Asuna for a moment to see that they were eating, then went back to watching Klein. They are approaching the Safe-Zone Area and about to enter it. I sat up and moved closer to the edge and watched as the unexpected gathering transpired before me.

"Ohh! Hey Kirito! It's been a while!" Klein exclaimed. He and the Fuurinkazan approached Kirito and Asuna who looked as if they were caught off-guard.

"Oh it's only you Klein." Kirito groaned.

"Still foul-mouthed as ever. And what's this? You of all people are in a par-ty…" Klein's voice faltered since he seems to be recognizing the fact that Asuna of the Knights of the Blood Oath is standing right before him.

"Ah… I could've sworn you've met each other during the boss raid meetings and fights. Whatever I'll introduce you two anyway. Asuna, this is Klein, leader of the Fuurinkazan guild. Klein, well I'm sure you already know, but this is Asuna from the Knights of the Blood Oath. You know, the Flash."

"Nice to meet you." Asuna warmly greeted Klein, though he gave no response. Klein stood frozen, seemingly staring at Asuna.

"Yo' Klein, say something. Are you lagging or something?" Kirito waved his hand in front of Klein's face to see if he could get a response. Suddenly Klein stood straight up and held his hand out to Asuna and did the stupidest thing I've ever seen happen in front of a girl.

"H-h-hello! I'm, a, um Klein! I'm twenty-four, single and looking for someone to-"

He was cut off completely when Kirito punches him straight in the gut, effectively knocking him down.

"Boss!" Klein's guild yelled. They ran up and surrounded Kirito, giving him a threatening look. Sweat beaded down Kirito's face and he backed away two steps until the unexpected happens.

"Whoa! Are you really _that_ Asuna?!" The Fuurinkazan exclaimed.

The whole guild stormed over to Asuna, giving her their personal information. Kirito protected her by blocking them with his arms. He had an embarrassed smile on his face.

"Oh don't mind them!" Kirito encouraged her, "If you ignore their leader, they're not bad people!"

I couldn't help but laugh at my brother's words. I remember the day he left Klein and the look he had on his face. He is trying to hide the fact that he still feels guilty leaving Klein that day. But hearing those words now made me smile.

"Ow!" Kirito yelped. I looked to see what was going on and saw that Klein had stomped on Kirito's foot.

"That's payback." Klein mocked him. He wrapped his arm around my brother's neck and pulled Kirito closer to him. "Anyway what are you doing with her Kirito? You're a solo player aren't you? And that's Asuna too!"

The weird mood was broken by a warm laugh coming from Asuna. Everyone stared at her dumbfounded.

"We decided to party with each other for a while." Asuna warmly announced.

"What?! I thought it was only for today?" Kirito exclaimed. Klein then pulled him further away from Asuna and whispered something I couldn't hear. Then I heard a new sound, of clanking armor.

I looked towards the origin of the sound and saw a large group of players with matching uniforms enter the Safe-Zone. They all seemed tired except for one person who I assume is the leader. He maintained a straight composure while his followers were completely exhausted. Looking at his unique uniform, I was completely surprised. The Army has arrived.

"The Army? What are they doing here?" I heard Kirito speak.

"I haven't seen them in the front lines since the 25th floor boss raid, when they got completely annihilated." Asuna recalled.

"And their saving grace was him…"

Kirito's voice turned dead cold when he said _him_. I know he is talking about me, but I guess saying my name leaves a bad taste in his mouth. The Army platoon stopped in front of everyone else.

"At ease men!" Their leader commanded. The Army soldiers collapsed to the floor and rested their bodies. "Greetings. I am Lieutenant Colonel Corvatz of the Aincrad Liberation Arm." Since when did The Army have an official name like that?

"Kirito. Solo player." Kirito told Corvatz.

"Have you mapped the area past this location?" Corvatz's was voice filled with arrogance.

"Yeah… All the way up to the boss room."

"Very well." He reached out his hand to Kirito, "Will you please supply us with the mapping data then?"

This guy is already getting on my nerves. First you greet yourself arrogantly, then you ask for mapping data like it's no big deal?

"You crazy? Do you even know how hard mapping is?" Klein exploded. He seems to be thinking the same thing as me.

"We are fighting for the freedom of players! You are part of the clearing group are you not? It is your duty to cooperate with us and help us accomplish this mission for freedom!"

Both Klein and Asuna stepped in between Kirito and Corvatz. Their expression showed outrage. But Kirito stepped up and spread his arms apart to stop the two.

"It's okay. I was planning to give it out to everyone anyway." Kirito admitted.

"You're being way too kind Kirito." Klein argued.

"I don't have any plans to sell the maps for money anyway. I have enough." Kirito opened his trade menu and gave Corvatz the mapping data, which he greedily took.

"Thank you for your cooperation." Corvatz voice showed no gratitude. Kirito shouldn't have given him the map…

"Word of advice though, don't even try attacking the boss." Kirito told Corvatz as he walked away.

"That is for me to decide."

"We checked it out earlier. You guys are no match for that boss. Your men are tired too."

"My men aren't weak enough to be tired by something like this! Get up you lazy pigs!"

My heart raced as he spoke those words. He treated his comrades like crap. He talked to others like they were slaves or people living in the slums. Treating people that way is unforgivable, yet I can't say that either since killing is way worse.

The Army platoon stood up shakily and followed Corvatz. They exited the Safe-Zone and headed to the direction of the boss room. All I can say right now is that they're running straight into their deaths.

"Will they really be okay?" Klein worried.

"They're not foolish enough to just waltz into the boss room without checking, are they?" Asuna wondered.

"Maybe we should keep an eye on them anyway." Kirito mumbled. I saw smiles grow into everyone's faces and Kirito just sighed. "Can't tell who's nicer. You or me…"

Kirito and the Fuurinkazan started walking away, trailing behind The Army. Meanwhile, Klein and Asuna had stayed back a little bit. I heard them start conversing.

"Hey Asuna, I got a favor to ask of you." Klein told her. "Kirito is pretty anti-social. He's a loner and is pretty addicted to combat. Truthfully, he's actually a good guy. Take care of him for me, will ya'?" Klein bowed his head in front of Asuna, astonishing her slightly. She then smiled.

"Ok! I promise to keep him safe for you!"

The two of them smiled to each other and caught up with the rest of the group. As I sat above and watched, I couldn't help but smile too.

"Kazuto…" I thought aloud, "You've made some good friends who care about you as much as you care about them…"

 **A couple of minutes later, near the end of the dungeon**

I am once again stuck with having to watch from a distance instead of listening range. The Army is out of sight, and everyone is currently fending themselves off of a monster attack. A bunch of lizard men have grouped up and ambushed them. Fortunately, they all handled them with ease. It wasn't even a minute before they took down all of the mobs.

"And that was the last one!" Klein announced, "Only thing ahead of us is the boss's room right? I don't see them ahead, so they must've left, right?"

Everyone seemed to be hoping they had left. Even I was hoping for their salvation. Our hopes were only broken by the sound of a fearful cry. It echoed throughout the dungeon, but originated somewhere ahead of us. From the boss room.

"Asuna, let's go!" Kirito shouted to her. She nodded and they both rocketed off towards the boss room.

"Hey wait up!" Klein shouted to them but he and his guild were interrupted by the sudden spawning of more mobs.

While they dealt with the monsters, I also made my move. I activated Cloak of Darkness and chased after Kirito and Asuna. I slipped past Klein and his guild with none of them noticing. Up ahead, the boss room door was wide open and I can see boss and its name: The Gleam Eyes. I managed to see its four health bars which were all full. As we got closer, another piercing cry reverberated through the air.

When Kirito and Asuna stopped at the boss room door, I used up the last of my cloak's duration and managed to climb on top of one of the torches next to the entrance. I found a good grip on the torch and sat there, avoiding the blue flame. I then peered around the torch and saw what was going on. Almost all of The Army members were down on the ground, severely injured. Only Corvatz and two others maintained their composure.

"Don't just stand there!" Kirito shouted to all of them, "Use your Teleport Crystals!"

"We've tried! They aren't working!" One of the soldiers cried out, holding a crystal in hand to demonstrate. At the same time, The Gleam Eyes struck a few of his comrades that were next to him.

"I've never heard of a trap like this in a boss room before!" Asuna exclaimed.

"The Aincrad Liberation Army does not know the word "retreat"! Now come on! Keep fighting!" Corvatz commanded his followers. This reckless fighting reminds me of Kibaou… This will not end well.

"They're insane!" Kirito gasped. Even through all of the chaos, I could hear the heavy footsteps of someone from behind Kirito.

"Hey, what did I miss?" Klein's voice rung in my ears. Seems like he and his guild are done cleaning up those monsters. I saw his face overflow with shock as he realized the situation before him.

"They can't use Teleport crystals. I mean, we could make an escape route for them and distract the boss, but it's way too risky!"

"Ready!" I looked back to Corvatz who raised his sword and brought it down saying, "Charge!"

The Arm platoon shouted a battle cry and they all charged at the boss in unison. At that moment, the boss opened its mouth and let out a blast of purple energy on the soldiers. They tried to shield it but their efforts were futile. A thick mist now covered the battlefield and all I heard are the sounds of the boss's sword cutting through their avatars. The Gleam Eyes turned around and slashed his sword at a figure in the mist.

Corvatz was sent flying towards the entrance of the boss room, where Kirito, Asuna and Klein stood there watching. He landed on the ground with a thud and lied still.

"Hey!" Kirito headed over to Corvatz who had been severely wounded by the boss. Suddenly, his helmet broke, revealing his face which was full of pain. Corvatz then spoke his last words:

"I can't believe it-"

Corvatz's avatar dissolved into polygons which spread about quickly in the air eventually disappearing. The three friends stood there with horror-filled faces. Meanwhile, another scream of terror sounded through the air. I saw one poor guy sitting right in front of The Gleam Eyes, not able to do anything. The boss raised its giant sword and prepared to strike. As it brought down its sword, a girl's cry broke the chaos.

"No!" I turned my head quickly and saw Asuna screaming and running towards the boss, rapier at hand.

"Asuna!" Kirito shouted for her. He also stepped into the boss room and followed Asuna's lead.

"Oh what the hell!" Klein complained but he also entered the room with them.

As I looked back at Asuna, I saw her leap towards the boss and started activating a Sword Skill. She jabbed the boss's back multiple times almost instantaneously. The boss didn't even flinch when he was attacked by her, but rather turned around with a very angry expression and attacked Asuna with its sword. It tried to hit her in mid-air but Asuna managed to dodge it. The boss then punched Asuna straight in the face, sending her flying back several meters.

With Asuna down on the ground and vulnerable, the boss went for a downward slash on Asuna, but Kirito stepped in and managed to push the blade with enough force to change its trajectory.

"Get back, quick!" Kirito pleaded to Asuna, who stepped back.

"I got you!" I heard Klein's voice through the midst of the fighting. I saw him and his friends helping out the fallen members of The Army and carried them to safety. The boss seemed to notice to and prepared a breath attack, only to be stopped again by Kirito.

I watched as the Black Swordsman and The Gleam Eyes clashed against each other. While the boss has managed to chip away Kirito's health slowly, he hasn't even managed to hit the boss once. His lack of reach became apparent. Kirito fended off a few more attacks until the boss stopped for a moment. Behind it, I can see the rest of The Army group. All of them were in the red-zone, on the verge of dying.

When I looked at Kirito's face, it was filled with hesitation. The boss proved my statement correct when it attacked him. My brother's movement were sluggish but he managed to parry the giant sword away.

"Klein, Asuna! Give me ten seconds! Keep it off of me, will ya?" Kirito requested.

"Sure thing Kirito!" Klein informed.

"Leave it to us!" Asuna also answered. The two of them switched places with Kirito, who opens his menu and starts searching for something. What could he be looking for? I have no clue…

Klein and Asuna confronted the boss and Klein became the first to step up. He managed to parry one of the boss's attacks and tried to block the next one. Although he blocked it, he was sent flying across the room and took some damage from it. Next, Asuna stepped up and distracted the boss by evading its attacks.

"Okay! I'm ready!" Kirito shouted to them. Asuna hit the boss's sword upwards to create a small opening which Kirito took.

Kirito charged at the boss recklessly and parried the oncoming attack. But in this situation, Kirito is in no position to move his sword fast enough to block any other attack, yet he kept charging. I was about to scream for him to stop when a small light sparked behind his back. A new, blue sword materialized behind his back which he unsheathed. The sword he carried was Dark Repulser, the same sword Zed owns. He used the blue blade to knock The Gleam Eyes off balance.

My sense of time wavered. So many thoughts raced in my head as I tried to process what is happening in front of me. Kirito was wielding two swords at once! Does that mean he also has it?

The boss recovered quickly and striked Kirito again, who crossed his swords and blocked the attack. That is Cross-Block, a unique defensive technique for Dual Blades! But then again, anybody can do that and get similar results. Kirito spread his arms apart, pushing away the sword from himself, making the monster leave an opening.

"Starburst Stream!" Kirito yelled, his voice filled with determination.

My mouth was gaping open as I watched the truth unravel before my eyes. Usually when wielding two weapons, you can't use Sword Skills, making combat inefficient. But with Dual Blades, you unlock certain skills that will allow you to do so. Starburst Stream is a rapid sixteen hit combo that only a Dual Blades user can execute. If Kirito is able to use it then it means I'm not the only one. Kirito also has Dual Blades!

I watched in awe as Kirito hacked and slashed against the boss. A few times Kirito received a hit, but he didn't stop, no matter what. Kirito became a storm of black and blue as his swords cut through the boss. In the very end, The Gleam Eyes managed to grab Kirito's sword, Elucidator, locking it in place. My body screamed as I saw both Kirito and the boss prepare to kill each other with one final blow.

Kirito executed his last hit by stabbing the boss in the stomach, while the boss did the same thing. There was a moment in which neither of them moved, that is until the boss dissolved into polygonal pieces and floated off. Kirito stood there, frozen. I looked at his health bar and noticed that he barely lived. Only a sliver of his health remained.

The words "Congratulations" appeared above Kirito, signaling his victory against the boss. The lights around the room, including the torch I am hanging from, dissipated and the whole place dimmed down. With all the lights gone and out, my brother collapsed onto the floor and seemed to have passed out.

"Kirito-kun!" Asuna shouted for him. She and everyone else headed over to the fallen Kirito. Asuna sat next to Kirito repeatedly yelling his name. "Kirito-kun! Kirito-kun!"

Kirito's static body started shaking slightly until I saw him open his eyes. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked at Asuna whose eyes wear tearing up.

"How long was I out?" he asked her.

"Only for a few seconds…" She then threw her arms around him, "You reckless idiot!" At first Kirito seemed surprised, but then he smiled.

"Hey if you hug me that hard, I may lose the rest of my health." Asuna didn't seem to notice since she didn't look like she loosened up a bit. Klein then approached Kirito.

"Corvatz and two others died." Klein informed him. Although I know it seems cruel to think this, but I guess that's what they deserve for coming here.

"We haven't lost a single person in boss fights since the 67th floor…" Kirito sulked.

"How can we even call that a boss raid? That was just suicide!"

Klein's face is full of anger for Corvatz stupidity. You can't blame him for being mad either. Klein then shook his head and looked at Kirito with a questioning expression.

"Anyway, what was that just now?" Klein interrogated my brother.

"Do I have to say?"

"Of course! I have never seen anything like that!"

"An extra skill… Dual Wielding."

Everyone gasped in amazement and Klein opened his menu and started searching through a list of stuff. From the looks of it, it was a list of all the known things in SAO.

"It's not even in the information broker's list. Well god damn Kirito! You have a Unique Skill!"

The sound of their voices faded as I started zoning out. Kirito also has Dual Blades… What made it so he also has it? A Unique Skill is supposed to be unique, meaning that only one person can have it. So why do both of us have this skill? It just doesn't make sense!

I slowly descended the torch and quietly snuck around the boss room, heading for the entrance. Once I took my first step outside the boss room, I used my speed bug and ran far enough so that they won't see me. I turned a corner and stopped to catch my breath. I pulled out a Teleport Crystal from my pocket and shouted:

"Teleport, Panareze!"

The déjà vu feeling of being teleported ran through my body and I found myself blinded by light.

 **24** **th** **floor Panareze**

The sunlight is blinding. I have been in that dungeon for a while now so my eyes are taking its time to adjust. Despite the fatigue effect I get from it, I decided to use my faulty speed to get as close to the Island as possible. The few players in the city rushed past my face and I found myself outside in mere seconds. I traversed the maze of bridges and islands, heading towards our base. As the fatigue started hitting me, I saw the Island in the distance but it was soon out of sight when I entered the forest. I tried my best avoiding the trees but my weariness is causing me some trouble. I kept tripping and grazing the trees, lowering my HP a bit and making me lose momentum.

Eventually, I got out of the forest and am now running across the bridge. As if on cue, I heard a bell ringing from the Island. We added a bell so we would ring it whenever we see someone or something approaching us. I managed to get halfway across the bridge until I collapsed. I can't feel my legs and I'm completely out of breath.

"It's Mortifer!" I heard a voice shout in the distance.

I looked up and saw the gate open. Everyone was behind it and is now running towards me. My vision is blurry now from my lack of oxygen so instead of trying to get up, I focused on my breathing. I felt my body get lifted off the ground and be carried as I continued breathing deeply. When I opened my eyes, I found myself sitting on a bench, surrounded by everyone. The smell of the flower garden penetrated my nose, helping me breath better.

"Mortifer, is something wrong? And where have you been?" Violet asked me. She sat down next to me and held my hands. I held up my finger, signaling for her to wait. I took one giant breath and didn't feel dizzy anymore, although I still can't feel my legs.

"I was in the upper floors, more specifically the 74th."

"And you complained about us going to the 55th floor? You could have been caught again by the clearing group if they saw you!" Zed's already pissed at me despite the fact that we've been talking for less than ten seconds.

"I discovered something. Something that we will surely hear from Argo. No… Not just from Argo… From everyone. By tomorrow everyone will know of it."

"Know of what? Mortifer tell us." Violet's eyes sparkled.

She seemed happy yet sad. Probably happy that I'm back. Most likely sad that I came back like _this_ and left her here for almost a month.

"There is another Dual Blades user among us."

Everyone's mouths dropped open. Words couldn't even begin to describe how all of them must have felt. But I know for sure that all of them are surprised and confused.

"What do you mean another? Isn't a Unique Skill only meant for one person?" Rizer scratched his head, completely perplexed.

"And that's what I thought. But I found out today, another person has Dual Blades. I've seen him use it in action. In fact, he took down a boss solo using it."

"Who is the other user? Do we know him?" ViVi asked

"I know that Violet, Rizer, and Paradox knows him, though I'm not sure if the rest have ever heard of him, or his alias at the very least. Maybe you saw him while you guys fought in the Front Lines"

"Come on just tell us who it is!" Zed snapped. His impatience earned him a pinch from Paradox who shook her head signaling him to stop.

"The second user of Dual Blades is The Black Swordsman. The solo-player of the front lines. The Beater of SAO." As I spoke those words, I watched as Violet's eyes grow wider and wider.

"K…K…Kirito-kun?!" Violet exclaimed. She grabbed me by my collar and put her face in front of mine. "Your br- I mean… He's the person you're talking about?"

"That kid is the other Dual Blades user? God he's so annoying during the boss raid meetings!" ViVi started complaining. Violet shot him a look but he didn't seem to notice. "He's such a show-off too! And now, he has something else to show off with his stupid Dual Blades. That Beater can just go die in a hole!"

"ViVi enough!" Violet exploded. We all stared at her in astonishment. I've never seen Violet this mad before, but I understand why she is.

The words ViVi spoke did sting my heart. Yet I still ponder about why it does. Why do I feel hurt when people say bad things about my brother? At that moment, an image flashed in my eyes. It was completely white so I couldn't see much. But I could see someone, a woman trying to talk to me. All of her body was a silhouette except for her mouth which was still blurry. No words sounded from her mouth, though I knew she was trying to tell me something. The image quickly disappeared and I was left dumbfounded.

"Whatever happened in the Front Lines stays in the Front Lines. Don't bring personal problems you got during our time there here to our Island, nor say anything bad about Kirito-kun." Violet still seemed angry at her cousin, who is greatly confused.

"How come? Do you know him in real-life or something?" ViVi questioned. When will he ever learn to shut up? I stood up and confronted ViVi, towering above him.

"You just can't. Especially when I'm not around" This is the first time I've stood up for my brother in a long time. In fact, I don't even remember the last time I protected him.

"Can you just tell us what's so bad about talking crap about that Beater?" Konno questioned us. Everyone except for Violet and I seemed to be wanting an answer too. I let out a long sigh and told them.

"You can't say bad things about Kirito when you're around me, because I am his Onii-chan."

/

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BTW, if i didn't say this already (yes i'm too lazy to go back into my own chapters in the Doc Manager to see if I typed this), but I will later explain why both Kirito and Mortifer have Dual Blades. By later I mean last chapter xD. Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter even though it is basically just Episode 8 and 9 of the Anime.


	30. Chapter 29: Heathcliff vs Kirito

**The next day**

As I predicted, news of Kirito's Dual Blades spread around like wildfire. Everywhere you look at, even the most isolated floors, there is almost nobody who doesn't know about Kirito. He's appeared in the _Weekly Argo_ too. Argo would definitely not miss the opportunity to get money anyway.

Speaking of Argo, she must've known about this already and kept it a secret. After all, when I showed her Dual Blades she held a surprised expression on her face which confused me. It looked like she's seen it before, but I wasn't sure back then. Now I am completely positive she kept it a secret.

Even so, the stories that have spread around are overly exaggerated. One talked about a demon, The Gleam Eyes, wiping out an entire battalion of The Army. Another about how The Twin-Blade Swordsman killed the boss with a fifty-hit combo. Only part of these rumours are true however, but most people wouldn't give a damn anyway.

At the moment, I have no clue what to do. Should I tell Kirito that I also have Dual Blades? Or should I just stick quiet for now? I'll most likely follow him again. I've grown fond of following Kirito wherever he goes, despite it being totally creepy. But now, I actually have a reason to follow him other than "just for fun".

Today, we all hung out at the Island. Everyone is talking about their experiences during their time in the front lines. And everyone seems to have met my brother too. Nobody has said anything bad about him under Violet's request and due to the fear of me getting mad at them.

To be honest, I won't be mad at them, though my mentality is affected everytime I hear an insult directed towards my brother. I still don't know why I feel it and the images that keep flashing in my head are also appearing more and more. They are gradually getting clearer but I still can't tell what the woman is trying to say.

"Oh and the 68th Floor boss!" I overheard Konno as he shared his experiences in the front lines, "That was one tough boss! I'm amazed that nobody died during that time!"

"Nobody has died in a boss fight since 67th, right Mortifer?" Rizer asked me. I shook my head, denying his statement.

"Three people from The Army died during that boss raid at the 74th floor. I would've intervened had it not been for Kirito."

"Oh… That's too bad… Was it Kibaou who ordered them to to take down that boss?"

"Most likely, but I heard that The Army recreated itself into the Aincrad Liberation Army. A new person is their leader and apparently he's the guy who runs the popular MMORPG website _MMO Today_."

"Twice that Kibaou guy has caused the deaths of players… He needs to pay for his crimes!" Rizer's face is filled with hate.

"Kibaou is nothing compared to me, though I'm sure in the near future he will have to pay up. Right now, we can leave him be."

"Hmm… Guess you're right." Rizer crossed his arms. He's unhappy about it but he understands that we can't just barge into Black Iron Palace and beat up Kibaou.

As all of them continued to share their experiences and stories, I just kept thinking about Kirito, more specifically what he's going to do from now on.

 **That night of the same day**

We held a feast tonight. We hold one occasionally for certain reasons but this time there was none. They asked me how did I find Kirito and I told them how I came across a Ragout Rabbit. When I told them how Kirito had taken it, all of them started argueing.

"Man you should have taken it from him! I miss that rabbit." Konno cried out.

"Were there any others around the area that time?" Paradox whimpered.

"Nope. I could only find one despite my Searching skills being maxed out."

I continued on and told them that I trailed my brother, making them give me some weird looks for being a stalker. I also told them how I saw PoH after Kirito's fight with Kuradeel. I stopped talking about it when I got to the point of the boss battle, since everyone knows what happened there.

As the night went on everyone seemed to be getting tired until we heard a loud banging coming from the door. I instinctively drew out my sword, almost destroying one of the table's legs. Everyone zipped their mouths and watched as I approached the door.

"Who is it?" I called out to whoever is behind the door.

"It's me Argo." A familiar feminine voice called out. I opened the door and sure enough, Argo was at the other side. She held stern look on her face. She is obviously not here to just hang out, "May I come in?"

I opened the door wide enough and invited her in. She sat down at the table with everyone else. She grabbed a piece of the chicken we were eating and started munching out it. Despite the fact that everyone was looking at her, she maintained her composure.

"Heathcliff has challenged Kirito to a duel." She stated. Everyone, including myself, dropped our mouths open in astonishment. "It's going to happen tomorrow. I just published a makeshift article about it and got some of my information broker friends to send it out to everyone."

"That Heathcliff guy is rarely in the boss raids." Cayonz explained to us, "It doesn't seem like him to just suddenly duel someone."

"I asked Kirito about it, and he said that Asuna asked for a break from the Front Lines. Heathcliff responded with the fact that Kirito can't just take away one of their most valueable members just like that." Argo reached for another piece of chicken and continued talking while eating, "For Kirito, the stakes are high. If he wins, Asuna get's the break she wants from the guild. But if Heathcliff wins… Kirito will be forced to join the Knights of the Blood Oath." Everyone gasped at Argo's words.

"Hasn't Kirito been a solo player for the longest time now?" Aqua questioned.

"Yeah he has. I rarely see him in parties anymore. And as you know, even in the boss raids he doesn't like to party up with people."

"A battle between Unique Skills… Dual Blades and the more well-known Holy Sword… The Black Swordsman battling against The Paladin… I'm fired up!" ViVi started jumping up and down with excitement until Aqua stopped him.

"Calm down! We don't even know if we can watch it without blowing our cover!" Although her statement is true, I myself have to watch it.

"I have to go see the battle for myself. If you guys are also coming, then you have to be in disguise." I told them, earning me some looks, especially from Zed, "The guy who sells the entry tickets only cares about the money so he shouldn't be able to recognize you all if you wear something different or casual."

"Yeah, I'm staying here." Zed announced to everyone, "I don't want to take any risks like those." He then smiled and looked at me, "Just like what you told us during our training against Laughing Coffin: Every man for themselves."

"Yeah… You're right... If you get caught, I will do everything I can to save you, though I won't guarantee anything. Now, how about we get some disguises?"

 **The next morning**

Lucky for us, Violet's Tailoring skill is high enough to let her make some casual wear in no time. We all wore something that a normal SAO player would wear, and they are all made of expensive material too. I'm dressed in a style that doesn't really fit me but I have to wear it for disguise. I took the design of Kirito's coat and added a shoulderguard to the right side, along with a small cloak running down from it. The only other difference is the color of it, which is a dark red with a trim black. As for my pants, I just wore my usual pants but dyed in dark red.

The girls are wearing matching outfits of different colors. Rizer and Konno are wearing heavy armor which is unusual for them. And since Violet forced him to, ViVi is staying behind along with Zed and Cayonz.

"If something happens, your first action will be to use a Teleport Crystal. Do not teleport to Panareze right away or they may suspect that we are in the 24th floor."

I retold them the rules and what to do when they get in trouble, despite the fact that I've already told them hundreds of times.

"Don't sit next to each other and make sure we have everyone in our sights. If we see someone get confronted by a clearer or someone suspicious, everyone will teleport out and let me handle it, got it?"

"Yeah." Everyone nodded and smiled as they are all excited to go watch the fight.

"Why don't I get to come?" ViVi moaped, "Trish is going, so why can't I?"

"Because Trish can take care of herself and isn't as clumsy." Violet argued back at him, "And I promised myself not to put you in dangerous situations anymore."

"According to Argo the fight will start in two hours in the newly unlocked 75th floor at the city of Collinia." I gave them all a Teleport Crystal to use, "If this fight does get an audience, then there must be a line out there already. Try to get in as soon as possible before they run out of space." I raised my crystal in the air and shouted, "Teleport, Collinia!"

 **75** **th** **floor Collinia**

As I suspected, there were already people here waiting for the fight to start. A KoB member is inside a makeshift ticket booth selling tickets and "Fire-breathing popcorn".

We all waited in line, separated from one another. Violet is first to get in and she didn't run into any complications. I entered after her and somehow got through without anybody recognizing my face. That should mean that everyone can get through safely without much complications.

I took a seat right up at the front while still being close to an exit. Everyone else spread out around the coliseum, blending in with the ever growing crowd. In less than two hours, the stadium will be filled and the fight will begin. I'm not interested in who wins and loses. All I'm interested about is if Kirito can manage to bring Heathcliff below half health, or if Heathcliff manages to do an impossible block. I just need to see it one more time, to confirm my suspicions.

 **Two hours later**

The whole stadium is filled up. I'm surrounded by a rowdy bunch of low-level players, who are overly excited about the fight. The fight shouldn't last that long, especially if they choose a One-Strike Mode.

Right now, both Kirito and Heathcliff stood at the center of the stadium, armed and ready. I scanned around the coliseum and spotted Asuna, who is watching from the entrance tunnels. Violet and everyone took my advice and sat close to the exits, but close enough to watch the fight. A few KoB members guarded guarded the perimeter but other than that, everything looks fine.

I looked to Kirito and Heathcliff, who seem to be conversing with one another. With a noisy crowd like this, there is no way I can hear them. Heathcliff sent Kirito a Duel Request and he accepted. As I predicted, they are doing One-Strike mode so this should be a quick duel. The timer counted down and I watched as Kirito draw out his two swords. Heathcliff readied his sword along with his giant shield. The crowd waited in anticipation and the clock hit zero.

Kirito was first to make a move and he rushed a Heathcliff with his two blades. As expected, Heathcliff's defense seemed impenetrable. He effortlessly blocked Kirito's attacks and counter-attacked every chance he got. As the fight progressed though, Kirito only got faster while Kayaba only seemed to slow down. Then Kirito left a wide opening and Heathcliff counter-attacked using his shield and struck Kirito in his stomach.

They both backed away from each other and stood still. I could see their mouths moving, but now way I could hear their conversation. In a flash, they went back to fighting each other. Their movements were even faster than before. Little by little Kirito's health went down from scratches he received, but the fight will only end when a clean hit has landed. Finally, Kirito managed to scratch Heathcliff's face, angering him a little. Kirito's dual blades then started to glow as he activated a Sword Skill, Starburst Stream.

He unleashed the full combo on Heathcliff who struggled in blocking it. And with one hit, Heathcliff recoiled so much from it that he left a giant opening for Kirito. Both mine and Kirito's eyes widened once seeing that giant gap. Kirito brought his right sword up into the air and prepared for a downward slash. When the sword was only a ruler's length away from Heathcliff's body, the impossible happened.

It happened so fast you could have missed it in the heat of the moment. But I was waiting for this to happen the whole time. Heathcliff somehow managed to move his shield fast enough and blocked Kirito's attack. Even from here, I could see confusion and disbelief in Kirito's eyes. His sword grinded against Heathcliff's shield and Heathcliff counter-attacked by striking Kirito at the side, bringing to the ground with less than half his health left.

The crowd roared at The Paladin's victory. And with the bet they made, Kirito will now have to join the Knights of the Blood Oath under Heathcliff's command. Heathcliff looked at Kirito as if he were a pile of junk then walked away. Asuna, who was watching from the entrance tunnels to the arena, hurried over to Kirito and helped him up. They both walked away together and left the scene, as well as Heathcliff.

I opened my menu and messaged everyone who was here to use their Teleport Crystals and get out. The deed is done. There is no way Heathcliff could have blocked that fast without something inteferring. And if I recall from the MMORPGs I've played in the past, a System Administrator or GM is always protected by the system. Their health will never go down below half. And it seems like that is the case with Heathcliff. I have hard evidence that he is who I think he is, but there is still a chance that I am wrong and am completely delusional. Before teleporting out, I looked to the sky and wondered:

"I'll play your game for now Heathcliff, but soon I'm going to reveal your secret to everyone. After all, there is nothing more boring than watching someone else play an MMORPG. I'm sure you also believe in that philosophy, Kayaba Akihiko."

/

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I like how Chapter 5: The Island is still shorter than this, and Chapter 18: Honeymoon. These two chapters by far have the lowest word count. Not even exceeding 3k.


	31. Chapter 30: The White Swordsman

**The next day**

Violet, Rizer, Zed and I are currently in the basement talking about my suspicions on Heathcliff. I decided to not tell everyone else since I couldn't really trust them completely with it, even though I know they won't do anything bad.

"I see..." Rizer murmured, "So you think that Heathcliff guy is Akihiko?"

"Yes, and I strongly believe in that." I told him, "The fight he had with Kirito and the time when I fought him during my execution, both of those are only form of evidence."

"I hate to say it but I also saw Heathcliff manage to do an impossible block." Zed mentioned. "During your execution when we were escaping, I watched your fight against him. There were numerous times where you could have hit him, but his speed seemed to accelerate to the point where it's almost beyond the system."

"And during Kirito's fight with him," Violet chimed in, "Kirito attacked him with incredible speed, yet he still managed to block that last attack before ending the match."

"I'm glad that you guys somewhat believe me, but I'm still not completely sure. I am only ninety-nine percent sure that Heathcliff is Kayaba. But that one percent is bugging the crap out of me."

We went back upstairs and told nobody what we talked about. And since it's free-time day again, everyone went to different places. Zed and Paradox are going on their occasional stroll all the way around the 24th floor. Rizer, ViVi, Konno, and Cayonz have gone to the 55th floor again to get more materials for the forge. The rest of the girls, including Violet, have left the Island and headed to different floors to get supplies. I'm left alone again to do anything I want. Anything…

I searched through the house for a piece of paper and a writing utensil. I quickly wrote down a note on the piece of paper.

[I'm going to be following Kirito again. Don't come looking for me please. If you ever need me though, you can find me outside of Algade's south gate every morning at eight o' clock. I'll only be there for a few minutes so don't be late if you have something to tell me. - M]

I set down the note on the dining table and went to my room to prepare my gear. I opened my chest and took out my beloved swords of light and dark, and stored them into my inventory. I equipped my usual armor and attire. I found my mask and put it on my face. I then closed the chest, locked the closet door, and hurried outside. I waved good bye to the Island since I had a feeling it's going to be a long time before I'm going to see this place again.

 **(Violet)**

 **Later that day, evening**

I sat on the rocking chair on the front porch, holding Mortifer's note that he left behind. It frustrates me that I rarely see Mortifer anymore, but I can't really argue. Mortifer has been through too much, so I should just let him do what he wants.

But the thing that worries me is how close he is going to be to the Knights of the Blood Oath. By following Kirito, who was forced to become a member of KoB, he's technically behind enemy lines. If he gets captured again, they are most likely going to kill him on the spot instead of doing a public execution. I think they've had their fair share of how dangerous Mortifer can be…

"Hey Violet," a deep voice called out. I turned around to see Rizer, who was pulling up a chair right next to me.

"Hey. Need something?" I asked him.

"No. I just wanted to talk about something. About Kirito." I paused for a moment, deciphering his words. "How come Mortifer never told us about him having a sibling in-game? And Kirito acted completely hostile towards Mortifer when I first saw him and during the execution. Shouldn't they be protecting each other?"

"To be honest, I haven't actually asked Mortifer about him. I saw no point in asking about it, nor does it seem like a topic he wants to talk about. When I first met Mortifer, his brother was also there. He was really pissed at Mortifer for not telling him he also bought the game and because Mortifer was a higher level than him."

"If they hate each other, how come we aren't allowed to say stuff about his brother? Wouldn't he not care?"

"Mortifer has been through a lot and his personality has definitely changed. Don't you remember him telling us about The Shadows of Sorrow?"

"Yeah. He fought clones of you, Kirito, and that other girl. I don't remember her name, but apparently she is Mortifer's cousin, right?"

"Yeah she is. But the thing is, he told me that he never had a great relationship with his family, so why would there be shadows of his brother and cousin?"

Both Rizer and I sat there and wondered. Why would Mortifer go so far just to trail his own brother? Even now, he has evidence that Heathcliff is Kayaba Akihiko so he doesn't exactly need to anymore. Yet he still follows Kirito even if it does put his own life at risk. There is only one thing I can think of that will give Mortifer that much resolve. The one thing that makes Mortifer unique to many people. He made a promise.

 **(Mortifer)**

 **The next morning, 50** **th** **floor Algade**

Agil's shop at Algade was the first place I visited before anywhere else. It just seemed like the most likely place for him to stay at. Surely enough, I found Kirito there. He's staying at a room located right above Agil's shop. He just laid in bed all day, seemingly disappointed with his loss. But today is somewhat special. As I looked through the bedroom window, I saw Asuna enter the room. In her hands, she held a set of white clothes.

"Kirito-kun, I have your uniform." Asuna called out. Kirito sat up and looked at her, then at the clothes. He let out a sigh and claimed his new set of clothes.

Asuna smiled at Kirito and walked out of the room. Kirito began to take of his coat and I turned around to look away. I waited for a minute or so until I heard Kirito's voice.

"You can come in now!"

I turned around to see Kirito wearing a very bright outfit. It looked just like his normal clothes except dyed white.

"Isn't there something less flashy than this?"

"Actually, that's probably the least flashy of them all. You look great though!" Asuna smiled as she clasped her hands together. Kirito fell backwards and landed on the bed. He covered his face with his arm as if he were crying.

"I'm in a guild… Who knew it would turn out like this?"

"It's my fault for dragging you into this mess in the first place. Sorry about that." Asuna apologized to him.

"No it's fine. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I think I was reaching my limits as a solo player."

"Putting it that way, it makes me feel a little bit better." After a short pause, Asuna spoke again, "Hey Kirito. Why do you avoid guilds? And… People? I hope you don't mind asking."

Kirito looked at her. No words came from his mouth. But by looking at his face, I knew that something had happened. A traumatic experience or something of the sort.

"It's not because you're a beta-tester right? Or because of that Unique Skill you have? After all, you are a kind person."

Looking back, I know that Asuna is right. Kirito has always been nice to the people around him, with me as an exception. But even before he started hating me, he was a warm, loving, and sociable person who isn't afraid of many things. He reminds me of-

I lost my train of thought when an image popped up in my head. It's the same image I've been seeing lately. I can now see the woman's whole body, except for her face, which was left blank except for her mouth. She seems to be sitting on a couch or bench. Another person sat right next to her too. I could only see his blank face, but it was definitely a man. They were both speaking to me. If knew how to read lips, I would be able to tell what they were trying to tell me.

The image vanished soon after. I thought almost a minute or so has passed, but it's only been a few seconds. I looked back at Asuna and Kirito. Kirito was now sitting up on his bed.

"It was a long time ago… About a year or so." Kirito began to recall, "I was in a guild. Up to now, it was the only guild I ever joined. It was small guild. Even with me there, there were only six of us. They called themselves the Moonlit Black Cats."

The name of the guild sounded nice and comforting, like a blanket to warm you during a cold night. I wouldn't be surprised if that guild had some nice people. Heck, even Asuna seemed to smile warmly at the name of it.

"As players, they were good but their levels were far below mine. And at that time, I thought that if I told them my high level, they would leave me alone. So I kept it a secret from them and joined their guild. I watched them messing around and having fun. And I think I craved for something like that back then."

Kirito told us about all of the members of the guild, but he went in depth with one specific person. A girl named Sachi. Apparently she wanted to run away from this world by committing suicide until Kirito gave her the will to live longer. It kind of warmed be to know that my brother did make friends in this game, other than Klein, Asuna, Argo and Agil. But the thing is, I've never seen this Sachi girl around Kirito nor have I heard him talk about it.

"But one day… It happened…" Kirito dropped his head and a tear streamed down from his eye. "While our leader went to go buy our guild house, we decided to clear a dungeon. Although the dungeon was one of the upper floors at the time, we went through it easily. That is, until we found a hidden room." His voice faltered a little bit. I could tell that this isn't going to end well.

"Inside the room, there was a lone chest. By the time I told them it was a trap, it was too late. We became surrounded with monsters. Although they were all of the same level as us, there were just too many. My first instinct was to teleport out, but it turns out the room was an Anti-Crystal Zone so our crystals didn't work. One by one, I saw them all die in front of my eyes, even Sachi."

A cold feeling grew in my heart. A feeling of sympathy. Sympathy towards my brother who I've hated for the longest time. Honestly, who wouldn't be with a story like that?

"I was the only survivor. As I ran out of the dungeon, I immideately went to the person who I was afraid of going to the most: our leader, Keita. When he saw me return to him alone, I told him everything that happened. When he asked me how I was alive, I told him my true identity and revealed my level to him."

"W-Where's that person now?" Asuna hesitantly asked him.

"I watched him as he jumped off the edge of the floor and fell into the nothingness below, committing suicide."

The words my brother spoke felt like a pointed dagger stabbing through me. Even though I don't even know who those people were, I could relate to Kirito's pain. Completely and utterly.

"I'm the reason the Moonlit Black Cats are gone. If I didn't hide the fact that I was a Beater, I could have convinced them to leave that hidden room alone. I killed them… All of them… And Sachi…"

It was silent for a while. This feeling of sorrow tore through me. Enough to even make the Voices start getting louder. How long has it been since these Voices have acted up? A month or so? I was still processing Kirito's words when Asuna stood up and took Kirito's face into her hands.

"I won't die." She told him. "I can't die, because… Because I'll be the one protecting you."

No words came out of Kirito's mouth as she enclosed him in a passionate hug. It was like this for the longest time until they separated apart. Asuna then stood up and reached her hand out to Kirito.

"Come on. Let's go to HQ. I need to show you around the place." Asuna now held a warm smile on her face. Kirito smiled back and took her hand. They exited the room and reappeared outside the shop a minute later.

I trailed above them from the rooftops. Kirito's story lingered in my head, as well as the Voices. But they both disappeared when the image I've been seeing recently popped up again.

The woman looked the same. But now the man's whole body is fully formed. Both of their faces are still absent. But for some reason I felt like I was actually standing there, in front of them. It felt like a dream more than an image. I felt something in my arms too. I looked down to see a baby in my arms. Again, it had no face but its whole body is there. This scene feels so familiar… But when and where did this happen?

The dream-like image disappeared and I was back in reality. I looked back to Kirito and Asuna, who were walking side by side together, heading to the Teleport Gate. These images… They just keep getting clearer and clearer only when I'm near my brother. Does it relate to him in a way? I don't remember any memory that looks like the images I keep seeing. But it doesn't matter. For now, I'll keep following Kirito.

 **(Kirito)**

 **The next day**

This will be my first day being a full-time member of the Knights of the Blood Oath. Asuna and I have toured around the HQ already and at the moment, we were resting at one of the many livings rooms in the area. The good thing is, Asuna and I were allowed a two-person party instead of the usual five-person. Looking at it from my perspective, it's no different from us partying together like last time. That is until a tall guy with curly orange hair walked inside the room and gave me my orders.

"Training?" Asuna complained.

"Yes. We will be making a party of three and go clear the Labyrinth on this floor. Kirito, me, and this other guy." The orange hair guy explained to me.

"Wait hold on Godfree! Kirito and I were going to-"

"I'm sorry ma'am, but even you have to adhere to the rules. Your party of two is fine, but as commander of the vanguard I need to test his abilities. We need to make sure he is actually of good use."

"Of course he'll be of good use! He almost beat the commander. In fact, he's probably stronger than you!" I got up from my chair and patted Asuna's head, calming her down.

"If you really want to see my abilities, then I'll show you." I told Godfree, "But I don't want to waste time on such a low-level dungeon. I would like to rush through it if you don't mind."

Godfree's face showed displeasure at my request. He obviously doesn't want to rush through it so he left the room saying:

"Assemble at the west city gate in half an hour!"

He left the room leaving me and Asuna alone. I looked back at Asuna, who was clearly angry.

"Just when I thought we had some alone time…" Asuna groaned but I gave her another pat on the head.

"It's okay. I'll be back soon. Just wait here."

"Yeah. I'll be waiting."

 **Half an hour later**

I regret the decisions I've made that brought me here. Maybe not spend time with Asuna but battling with Heathcliff. No… Even that battle has made me suspect something of the commander but I'm still not sure yet. I guess this was just inevitable. I looked in front of me towards the west gate and saw Godfree standing with one other person. It was Kuradeel.

"What's the meaning of this?" I asked Godfree

"Now I know what happened between you two, but since you guys are now comrades, I want you to bury the hatchet!" Godfree gave out a loud laugh and Kuradeel slowly approached me.

I prepared myself for anything he is about to do. I already had my right hand half way up my body, wanting to reach for the sword hanging on my back. But of all things Kuradeel could've done, he bowed instead.

"I-I'm sorry… For the trouble I caused you…" I was shocked from his words. I would never have expected something like this from him. "I won't act so rudely ever again. Please forgive me."

I had no clue what to say so I just said the first thing that came out of my mind.

"Sure…"

I forced myself to nod but it was still unsettling. This personality change...

"Now was that so hard? Okay, with that taken care of," Godfree reached out his hand as if he wanted something, "Today's training will be done under the most realistic circumstances. So I want you two to hand me all of your crystals!"

"Even Teleport Crystals?"

"All of them." Godfree gave me a big grin that only made me feel worse. Seeing Kuradeel give Godfree his crystals, I gave him the two crystals I had in storage obediently.

"Alright! Let's go clear a dungeon!" Godfree enthusiastically raised a fist in the air, looking like he wanted a response. Both Kuradeel and I raised our fists also and unethusiatically cried out:

"Yay…"

 **(Mortifer)**

 **Half an hour later**

I had forgotten that this floor's dungeon area is somewhere in a desert. Other than Grandzam, I've only visited the mountains towards the northern side of this floor for forge materials. And now, I'm forced to watch Kirito, Godfree, and Kuradeel walk through a canyon from above. The scorching sun was beating down on me and these black clothes weren't helping.

Unfortunately for both me and Kirito, Godfree didn't want to rush through the dungeon, so now I have to deal with this painfully slow pace along with the heat.

"Okay! We're taking break here!" I heard a voice call out from cayon below me. I looked over the edge and saw the three of them sit down on nearby rocks. "Here's the grub!"

Godfree tossed a leather pouch to Kuradeel and Kirito while keeping one for himself. As I used Eagle-Vision to watch them from above, I saw Kirito and Godfree swallow the contents inside their water bottles. But Kuradeel hasn't even opened his pack yet. I saw an evil grin form on his face. I realized a moment too late and so did Kirito.

Kirito threw his bottle away in horror and he fell to the ground. Godfree also did the same and fell on the ground, face first. Kuradeel stood up and started laughing at the both of them. I saw Kirito's health bar gain a status effect that had a yellow hue to it. He's been paralyzed.

Yet here I am, still watching from above. Surely this isn't going to end well, so why can't I move? I was completely frozen, but why? I can feel all my body parts, but the muscles just don't want to respond.

"Use an Antidote Crystal quick!" I heard Kirito yell. Godfree shakily pulled out a green crystal from his pocket. But with the paralysis, Kuradeel had enough time to knock it out of his hand and stab him straight through the chest.

"I always thought of you being stupid Godfree, but not this stupid!" Kuradeel laughed evily as he began twisting the sword whilst it still being in Godfree's body. Although there was no pain, the decreasing health bar made Godfree scream.

Kuradeel repeatedly stabbed Godfree a couple more times until his health dropped to zero and his body shattered into pieces. I was trying my best to move my body, but it still wouldn't obey. Kuradeel then began to approach my brother.

"Because of you, I had to kill an innocent person."

"You seemed pretty happy about it though." Kirito struggled against his paralysis. "Why would a person like you join KoB? A criminal guild suits you better."

"Hmm… You're pretty sharp." Kuradeel responded to his insult. He took of his gauntlets and revealed a tattoo embedded in his arm. Fury filled me to the brim when I saw the tattoo. It was the mark of Laughing Coffin.

"Laughing Coffin?! The murder guild! Is this supposed to be revenge for your guild?" Kirito questioned him.

"As if! I've only joined recently. That's where I learned this paralysis technique."

PoH… He's the only other member who isn't in jail. He was there when Kuradeel fought Kirito. He must've contacted Kuradeel and taught him how to make one of the many poisons Black makes.

The anger that built up inside of me was enough to let me feel my muscles. I was about to jump off the edge when the Image popped up inside my head. Really? Now?! At a time like this? But I froze completely as I saw the Image.

 _It was complete now. I could see everything. Feel everything. I could see the face of the man and woman who sat on the couch in front of me. We were in a house that I recognized. It was my old home before I moved in to my Oba-san's and Oji-san's house. In front of me stood my parents._

 _"_ _Don't drop your little brother now Katsumoto." My mom told me. I looked down on my arms and saw the face of a sleeping baby. I looked into the face of Kazuto, my baby brother who was just born yesterday._

 _"_ _Onee-chan!" I heard a familiar voice call out. I watched as my Oba-san ran into the room. She put her hands to her mouth and gasped at the sight of me holding Kazuto. "Oh my god, I'm so proud of you Onee-chan! I'm sorry I couldn't be there with you when you were at the hospital."_

 _"_ _It's okay Midori." My mom replied to her sister._

 _"_ _What's his name?"_

 _"_ _His name is Kazuto. Kirigaya Kazuto."_

 _"_ _Thank you for coming over. We need you to watch over them while I get your sister to the hospital for a check-up." My dad told my Oba._

 _"_ _Of course I will!" She gleefully smiled. She reached out her hands towards me. "May I please?"_

 _I knew what she wanted so I handed her Kazuto. She held him in her arms and my parents stood up, getting ready to leave, when my mom suddenly bent down slightly and looked at me._

 _"_ _Katsumoto. Will you promise me something?" My mom asked me in a warm voice._

 _"_ _What is it Ma?" I responded._

 _"_ _Whenever your dad and I are gone, I want you to take care of Kazuto for us. Make sure to protect him from any harm and not cause any harm to him." My mom took my hands and enclosed it in hers. "Protect him just like any Onii-chan would. Will you promise me this Katsumoto?"_

 _"_ _Yes, I promise!"_

The image faded right after and I was back in reality. I stood there, shocked. I felt tears streaming down my eyes. I was on the verge of crying. That memory… That was the last time I ever saw my parents before they died in a car crash while heading back home from the hospital.

"I promised…"

I balled my hands into a fist and looked at Kuradeel, who had stabbed Kirito. But unlike last the last time I had these visions, time had passed. Kirito only had a sliver of health left. I widened my eyes in fear and shock and tried to scream but my voice wouldn't work.

At that moment, I heard a sound like thunder coming from the canyon. I saw a green comet, hit Kuradeel so hard, it sent him flying. He hit the side of the canyon walls and fell to the ground. I looked back to whatever the green comet was, only to see Asuna standing there. She was able to run from Grandzam to here that fast?! Not even I can manage that feat! Asuna quickly pulled out a pink Healing Crystal and pointed it towards Kirito saying:

"Heal!"

Kirito's health instantaneously went back to full and a wave of relief washed over me. Thank you Asuna… For doing something I couldn't have done…

"I made it… Thank god… I made it!" Asuna was breathing heavily and I saw a tear stream down her eyes. "You're alive right Kirito? Right?"

"Yeah… I'm alive." Kirito weakly responded.

Nearby, I heard Kuradeel stand up, drawing his sword. Seeing him made me blow my fuse. I activated my Cloak of Darkness and turned invisible. I jumped off the edge and fell to the canyon floor without a sound, nor taking any damage. Asuna seems to have the same idea and approached Kuradeel, with her rapier drawn.

"Asuna-sama. How did you- I mean… There was an accident during training." He lied, "Yes! A group of criminal players attacked us!"

Ignoring the lies, Asuna began mercilessly attacking Kuradeel. The speed of her rapier, something I could barely see. Just like her alias, all you can see is a flash of white as she attacked him. Kuradeel dropped his giant broadsword and fell to his knees.

"I surrender!" he begged. Asuna raised her rapier above him, preparing a killing blow. "I'll leave the guild and you'll never see me again! Please!" Right as the sword was about to deal the killing blow, Kuradeel screamed:

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

 **(Kirito)**

Asuna stopped herself. The tip of the rapier hovered above Kuradeel's neck. I wanted to scream for her to just finish it but she hesitated. She's just not that type of person to kill someone off like that.

Kuradeel quickly picked up his sword and disarmed Asuna. Shocked, she fell to the ground, now defenseless. Kuradeel raised his sword above his head and prepared to kill Asuna.

"I used the oldest trick in the book, and you still fell for it. Dumb bitch!" Kuradeel laughed maniacally. I wanted to stand up and block the blow for Asuna, but my paralysis is still in effect. At that moment, Kuradeel brought down his sword but it stopped midway and hit an invisible force. The sword flew out of Kuradeel's hands, surprising him completely.

"What?" Kuradeel questioned.

Suddenly, Kuradeel grabbed his neck as if he was being choked. Somehow, Kuradeel's body started floating. He kept grabbing onto his neck as if something was there. His face definitely made it look like he was choking.

"Where is PoH?" a demanding, and demonic voice spoke. It was coming from Kuradeel's direction, but his mouth hadn't move.

"T-Their old base!" Kuradeel choked, "PoH said he was going to stay there for a while."

"When did he say this?"

"Just last night! Please, let me go." Kuradeel begged as he grabbed onto something invisible.

The air in front of him shimmered a little bit, like what you usually see in a hot day. Kuradeel then dropped onto the ground and started coughing heavily. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a sword piercing through someone's body. A black sword jutted through Kuradeel's body, much to his dismay.

"Thank you for your cooperation. But unfortunately, I don't forgive those who hurt my friends. Even if it causes myself more pain than I already have." Kuradeel dropped dead on the floor. His body shattered into polygons and the sword that was in him fell to the ground.

My paralysis wore off and I rushed over to Asuna, looking to protect her from whoever was there. I drew out one of my swords and waved it in the air in front of me, afraid that he's already standing there.

"Who's there?" I called out. I got no response except for the sound of rocks from somewhere nearby. I shouted even louder, "Who's there?!"

After I was sure that there was nobody there anymore, I put away my sword and fell on my knees from sudden exhaustion. What was that just now? From the looks of it, someone has the power to become invisible.

I headed over to the sword that had pierced Kuradeel's body and killed him. It was a starter's weapon, one that you would find in the shops of the Starting City. A sword like this shouldn't have killed Kuradeel, even with the little amount of health he had. That must mean that whoever stabbed him had a his One-Handed Straight skill completed along with a high STR attribute.

I'm grateful for the fact that the person saved us, but I want to know more. I was about to space out when I heard the sound of crying behind me. The sound of tears hitting the soil beneath us. I turned and looked at a crying Asuna.

"I'm sorry… Kirito…" she sobbed, "I-I should stay away… from you, from now on. I-I've only caused you m-more pain."

My body still felt weird from the almost fatal damage I took from Kuradeel, but I managed to move closer to Asuna. I already lost Sachi… I can't lose Asuna too. I grabbed onto her arms tightly and pulled her closer to me. I then covered her lips with mine.

Surprised, Asuna tried to push me away but I held on tightly. By now, the system would have given me a warning message for 'sexual harassment' and Asuna could send me to prison with the push of a button. But she didn't… I broke apart from the kiss and set my head down on her shoulder.

"My… My life belongs to you Asuna…" I told her. "I'll use it to protect you, and to stay with you until the end." I encased her in a hug filled with all of my feelings for her. She did the same and whispered into my ears.

"And I'll protect you too… I'll protect you forever."

As we embraced each other, I felt warmth spread throughout me. This warmth is something I haven't felt since… Since Sachi… The block of ice that was left behind when she died is now melting because of Asuna.

As I looked up to the beautiful blue sky, I saw a shadow. A giant shadow against the canyon's wall. The silhouette wore a cloak that flailed in the wind. I looked for the origin of the shadow, only to find nothing. And when I looked back canyon wall, the shadow was gone. My mouth formed a very light smile. Whoever you are… Thank you…

/

/

/

Mortiferis an EXTREMELY dynamic character if you guys haven't noticed already. Anyways, next chapter is fairly short but still important (i think).


	32. Chapter 31: Tying up Loose Ends

**(Mortifer)**

 **Later that day, 3** **rd** **floor Forest of Wavering Mist**

"PoH!" I shouted into the misty forest around us. "PoH!"

I entered the base's hidden entrance, which was already opened. Either PoH is in there, or he has already run away. I kicked down the slightly open door out of anger. The place was pitch black, but the torches that hung on the wall nearby smoked lightly. Someone has been here recently, and may still be in here. I drew out my Sword of Light and used its radiating light to guide my way.

Using what I remembered about the place, I made my way to the main room where most of the members hung out. All the furniture is turned over since the Crusaders had scoured through the whole base for any loot they can salvage. There seems to be nobody here so I headed towards PoH's room. As I turned the corner to the hallway leading to his room, a small light seeped from under the door. I silently walked towards the door and quickly barged in.

PoH was sitting casually on his chair with his feet on his desk. He was using his dagger, Mate Chopper, as a toothpick to clean his filthy mouth.

"Hey can you put that light away? It's a bit too bright for us people consumed by the darkness." PoH complained as he raised a hand to cover his eyes. I lowered my sword but I did not put it back in its sheath. "What do you want Mortifer?"

"I changed my mind about letting you go. I'm not going to let you harm anymore people." I angrily told him.

"So what? You're going to turn me in? If you do, I'll just tell everyone where you and that guild of yours is hiding."

"No… I won't be that merciful." Hearing those words, PoH's eye twitched and he got up from his chair and threw a hidden dagger at me. I caught the dagger with ease and threw it back at PoH. Although he did technically catch is, it was now stuck in the palm of his hand.

I walked over to the incapacitated PoH and knocked him over. I opened my inventory and pulled out a bottle. The same bottle Kirito drank from that Kuradeel had poisoned. I forcefully stuffed the remaining drops of it into PoH's mouth and his avatar became paralyzed.

Taking precautions, I stole PoH's weapon, Mate Chopper, and stored it into my own inventory. I pulled out two Teleport Crystals from my pocket and handed one of them to PoH.

"Now… You are going to say 'Teleport, Collinia!' right now. If you teleport somewhere else or if you disobey my orders, I will kill you right now. Understand?"

PoH nodded quickly. His expressioned showed fear. I have never seen PoH scared of anything because he is usually the one who does the scaring. I put the crystal in his hand and he shouted:

"Teleport, Collinia!"

His avatar disappeared and got transported to the 75th floor, where the current front lines are located. I held my blue Teleport Crystal in my hand and raised it above my head, saying:

"Teleport, Collinia!"

 **75** **th** **floor, Collinia**

I dragged the paralyzed PoH on the ground, trying to avoid the sight of the clearers. In our world, you can call this rush hour since it is the time when most of the clearers are going back to their player homes or guild homes after a day of exploring the dungeon.

Since I had already used my special cloak ability, I can't use it to hide PoH and myself as we traversed the Roman-themed streets of Collinia. There's a bell tower at the center of this town, and according to Zed, there's a device there that somehow amplifies sound.

Due to our lack of speed and chances of being caught, I took my risks and decided to use my speed bug. I picked up PoH, who looks heavier than he seems, and rushed my way to the tower. Just in case the paralysis is going to wear off soon, I found an alleyway near the belltower and rammed PoH right into the wall, using him as a cusion.

"What was that for?" He wheezed. Sure enough his paralysis wore off, but now he can't move due to the impact.

"Precautions." I panted out since my fatigue is hitting me like a moving truck. "Unfortunately for you, I have more poison."

I pulled out a vial I had taken from Paradox's stash of poisons. It was one of her newer poisons which she apparently tested on Rizer. One tiny sip of it and he dropped to the ground like a rock.

Because I can't affect PoH in a Area, I forced him into a Duel with me, with the threat of bringing him outside the Area to kill him. He accepted the Duel and I forcefully made him drink the whole entire vial. Just like Rizer, he dropped to the floor without even flinching. His muscles completely paralyzed even his mouth.

I picked him up despite of my fatigue and carried him into the belltower. Climbing up the stairs made me even more tired and the tower is pretty tall too. When we finally reached the top, I dropped his motioneless body and stretched my arms. I looked at the city below us. From a bird's-eye view, I can see all the whole city and the people walking around. The amount of people here should suffice.

I found the device Zed talked about. It was cone shaped, like a megaphone. I tested it first by whispering into it. My whisper changed into a normal conversational voice. Yes… This will do the trick.

I looked at PoH and glared at him. His face still had a fearful expression on it. Right now he was leaning against a pillar that was right on the edge of the belltower. He could try to jump off when the paralysis starts wearing off, but I won't be taking that long.

I stared at the giant bell in front of me. There's no rope or any mechanism I can use to ring it, so it must be automatic or its just here for the appeal. Nonethless, I pulled out both of my blades and activated the most powerful Dual Blades skill: The Eclipse.

I struck the giant bell, which rung with every hit. Although it was deafening for my sensitive ears, I endured the twenty-seven rings I created with The Eclipse.

When the combo ended, a constant ringing was left behind in my ears, making my head hurt slightly. I heard the townsfolk below me gather up below the belltower. I looked down and saw that a huge group of players had already gathered, pointing up at me.

When the ringing stopped, I picked up PoH by his hood and brought him next to the sound-amplifier device thing. I then began to recite the speech I had just come up with a minute ago.

"People of Aincrad, behold!" I shouted into the cone. I then grabbed PoH and held him off the edge of the belltower. If I let go, he will fall to his death since we are still in a Duel. "This man is PoH! The leader of Laughing Coffin. He is the one who created the 'Red Guild' that killed hundreds of players throughout our time in SAO. But I will make sure to finish the job that the clearing guild didn't accomplish when they led a crusade against them!"

I pulled out my out one of my swords. The Sword of Light. It shined brilliantly in the twilight sky. I raised it up in the air, showing it to everyone. I then whispered into PoH's ears:

"Don't worry. I'm not the one who killed you." After I said those words, I stabbed him through the chest and twisted the sword inside him. He couldn't even flinch due to the strong paralysis poison I had given him. "It was the system that killed you. Isn't that what you always believed in?"

As PoH's health dropped to the red zone, I dropped him and his body fell quickly to the ground below. The crowd watching me screamed and moved away as PoH's body crashed into the ground, making a small crater. Unfortunately, he didn't die from the fall. I shrugged my shoulders and stepped off the belltower. While airborne, I activated Embracer and my right fist began flashing yellow. Right before I made contact with PoH, I spoke the same words I use right before starting a mission while I was in Laughing Coffin:

"May death rain upon them…"

I punched PoH's head into the ground and he lost the last of his health. His body shattered into pieces and I was left alone, surrounded by a massive crowd of people. I heard mutters coming from the crowd.

"That was actually PoH… I saw his player tag." One voice said.

"He killed the Laughing Coffin leader?" another voice said.

But there was only one voice that differed from the others. A shout coming from a player in front of me. He wore steel armor while wearing a blue cloak with the symbol of a dragon. The uniform for the Divine Dragon Alliance.

"It's him! The Reaper! The Reaper of Sorrow!" the DDA member shouted.

After shouting out the truth, everyone around me suddenly realized that I really was The Reaper of Sorrow. The whole crowd drew their swords and slowly approached me. I scoffed at all of them. As if I'm going to let these guys capture me…

I turned around and ran up the wall of the belltower. I scaled the belltower until I reached a high enough point where I can safely teleport without any of them knowing where I'm heading.

While trying to avoid the thrown daggers flying past my face, I pulled out a blue Teleport Crystal and raised it in the air, shouting:

"Teleport Algade."

 **(Violet)**

 **The next morning, at Algade's southern gate, 8 O' Clock**

It's only been one night before the news spread like wildfire throughout Aincrad. In fact, if the news was a real wildfire, all of Aincrad would've burned down already. We only heard just a few hours ago when Trish had gone to Panareze to go on a supply run.

Rizer, Zed, Paradox and I are impatiently waiting outside of Algade, right next to the south gate, waiting for a certain someone to arrive.

"I'm guessing you guys want to say something to me." A voice came from above us.

I looked up and saw Mortifer sitting precariously on top of the gate. I furiously showed him the headline of the newest special edition of the _Weekly Argo_. Mortifer then began reading the headline out loud:

"Reaper of Sorrow kills Laughing Coffin leader…"

"What the hell are you thinking?!" I yelled at him. He recoiled from my anger and put a finger to his mouth signaling me to be quiet, which angered me even more, "You expect me to be quiet about this?! Why would you do this?"

Mortifer seemed to sigh and he started scaling down the gate. After checking for any eavesdroppers, Mortifer walked up to the four of us.

"I just needed to do it…" he mumbled, "I needed to kill him so he won't hurt anybody anymore. And maybe to boost the morale of the players knowing that one of their biggest threats are gone."

"You sure about that?" Zed argued. He handed Mortifer his copy of the _Weekly Argo_ , "Because you killed PoH, all the fear they had for him transferred to you. You are officially the number one most feared player in all of Aincrad because of that act of terrorism you did."

"Terrorism? Is that what Argo wrote?"

"This week's article is written by a different person. Argo seems to be busy with something else." Rizer mumbled.

"I see… Well I guess you can count it as terrorism."

"That's not the point Mortifer!" Paradox cried out, "There must be some other reason you killed him other than just so he won't cause anymore harm! In fact, there hasn't been many Player-Kill cases until now."

"I don't want to talk about it." He dropped his head and looked away from us. It angered me a little bit, but I can sense something else in his voice.

"What's up with Kirito?" I asked him. He looked at me through the corner of his eye, not wanting direct eye contact. "Does he have to relate with you killing PoH?"

Mortifer just kept staring at me through the corner of his eyes. Through the skull mask that hides his face. He stayed silent for a while until he shifted his body to face me. He pulled down his hood and slowly took off his mask, surprising me a little while also easing me down.

"Kirito went to go train with the Knights of the Blood Oath's forward commander. A person who held a serious grudge against Kirito accompanied them as they traveled to the dungeon of the 55th floor. They took a lunch break but it turns out that this person had poisoned their water. Apparently he had learned how to make poisons recently when he joined Laughing Coffin. I interrogated the guy and made him tell me where PoH was at. And now I think you know the rest…"

His eyes still did not want to meet with mine, but I get what he is trying to say. Although he didn't need to kill PoH necesarrily, I now know the reason why he did. PoH had showed this person who hated Kirito how to make poison. Had PoH known that Kirito is Mortifer's brother, I wonder what would be different…

"The Black Swordsman and the Flash seems to have fallen in love with each other." I looked at Mortifer due to the sudden change in tone and mood. He now held a small smile in his face, "Asuna was there when I killed the person who hated Kirito. Asuna saved Kirito from dying by healing him, but I since Asuna got tricked, I had to save both of them by finishing what she couldn't."

"Your brother hooked up with the Flash?" Rizer exclaimed. Both his and Zed's mouth were wide open in. They were both stupefied.

"Your brother has found someone? Good for him!" Paradox celebrated. I couldn't help but laugh.

"You have a knack for changing the mood to the complete opposite of what it is, don't you Mortifer?" I laughed out. He gave me a smile back before putting his mask back on as well as his hood.

"I don't know if I'll come back to this place to meet up with you guys again, nor do I know when I will come back to the Island." He looked at his hand which he balled into a fist. He looked straight at me and smiled, "I've found out what the Image has been trying to tell me."

"Really?" A wave of relief washed over me. Ever since Mortifer told me about the visions he keeps seeing, I've been worried. "What did the woman tell you?"

"The woman I kept seeing was my mom." Mortifer turned his back to me as I felt my eyes tearing up, "It wasn't some random vision. It was an old memory. A promise I made to them."

"That's what Violet and I thought," Rizer mentioned, "So what's the promise?" Instead of answering right away, Mortifer started walking away, "Mortifer? What's the promise?!"

"Why do you think I'm still watching over my brother Rizer?" Mortifer laughed heartily, "The promise is to protect the one true family I have left in this shitty life of mine."

/

/

/

This marks the end of Laughing Coffin in this Fanfiction!


	33. Chapter 32: Morning Dew Girl

**(Mortifer)**

 **Later that day Afternoon, 22nd floor**

I've been searching for Kirito and Asuna for hours now. I didn't see them in Algade, Selmburg, or Grandzam. Now I'm at one of the least populated floors in all of Aincrad. I only came here for one reason: Argo.

She appeared on the map just now. For some reason she was gone, as if she were in a dungeon of some sort. My first question is what would an info-broker be doing at the place where you can get the least amount of businesss?

I delved deeper into the woods of the 22nd floor as I headed towards Argo's coordinates. As I got closer and closer, I began hearing the sound of a strong wind. The leaves of nearby trees were also pointing at one direction. Curious, I climbed up a fairly tall tree to see if I can look at what's ahead of me.

My lower jaw dropped open as I looked at the monstrosity before me. Just a few hundred meters away from my current location, a log house hovered in the air due to the tornado that has swept it up. The tornado moved slowly towards a nearby lake until it finally stopped.

All of a sudden, the tornado disappeared instantaneously and the log house fell to the ground. I heard the shrill screams of people emanate from the falling house. I could make out that there were three people and that one of them was definitely a guy. As the house disappeared out of sight, a loud boom sounded across the quiet and peaceful forest. Birds that were hiding among the trees flew away in unison due to the disruption of nature.

"What the hell is going on?" I muttered to myself. I checked my map once again and noticed that Argo is towards the direction of where the house landed. What is she up to?

I jumped from treetop to treetop, making my way to Argo and the log house. I got closer and closer to her until I could see the giant lake. A few more jumps and I can see the log house. Three players lied on the ground in front of it. Using Eagle-Vision, I tunnel-visioned on the three players.

Coincidentally, one of the three players was Argo, while the other two were Asuna and Kirito. The three of them seemed to be laughing heartily. But why are Kirito and Asuna here at a floor like this?

I continued watching the three of them from the treetops. From this distance, I can't hear a word that they are saying. Kirito then approached a sign that stood next to the house. Using my Eagle-Vision, I read the inscription on the sign.

"Forest House K4. Five Mega Cor."

That is one expensive house! Not even our Island costed that much, yet the house itself is so much smaller than the one we created by hand.

Despite the costly price, Kirito placed his hand on a screen of light and bought the house. In a flash of blue, a key appeared in Kirito's hands. Asuna approached Kirito and wrapped her arms around his. They leaned against each other and admired their new home. Those two really did fall in love…

"Hey! Lovebirds! I'm gonna go head back and catch up with what I missed!" I heard Argo shout out to Kirito and Asuna. They waved each other good bye and Argo began running down a path that seemingly leads to the Coral Village, the 22nd floor's main settlement.

Seeing Argo run at a speedy pace, I quickly climbed down the tree and ran to catch up with Argo. After half a minute of trying to get out of a maze of trees, I found the path Argo had taken and ran to catch up with her.

"Argo!" I shouted for her. I heard her running come to a halt.

"What is it now Kiri-bou?" Argo exclaimed.

"Kiri-bou? Is that supposed to be the nickname you gave my brother?" I laughed at her. As she came in view, I saw a smile grow in her face.

"Oh if it isn't The Reaper. Kirito and Asuna told me what you did last night. Scary if you ask me."

"That doesn't matter. Now where have you been? We've been trying to contact you."

"I'm assuming you saw the house. I was trapped in a quest related to the house. Kiri-bou and Aa-chan helped me out and we cleared it. The quest is called Witch of the West and the Three Treasures. Ring a bell?" Recognizing only Witch of the West, I remembered a story I once read as a child.

"Yeah, Wizard of Oz. So that quest is just like The Darkness Within?"

"I guess so." Argo then scratched her head questioningly, "So need anything else?" I gave her a nod and she put her hands on her hips. "I really wish I didn't promise to give you free info for saving me."

"Kirito and Asuna, why are they here?"

"They are here since they are taking a break from the guild." Argo informed me but she didn't seem too happy about it.

"How come?" Although they wanted a break from the front lines in the first place, it still confused me. Argo then smiled warmly and looked right at me.

"Kii-bou and Aa-chan are getting married!"

 **Five days later, early morning**

It's been almost a week since I met up with Argo and found out that Kirito and Asuna got married in-game. Now living in their new house called Forest House K4, Kirito and Asuna enjoyed their honeymoon. Seeing the happy couple reminded me of my honeymoon with Violet, which ended early due to a certain group of people getting in trouble with Laughing Coffin. Nonethless, they were good memories.

I watched over the happy couple wherever they went, always keeping a distance from them. Whenever they are at home, I sit on the roof or the balcony, depending on where they are in the house. I had thought that Kirito would easily be able to tell if someone was watching him, but he hasn't even made a move or showed a sign of notice. His Searching skills shouldn't be that bad…

Nonethless, the two of them are currently at home, and I'm sitting on the roof eavesdropping. The sun had just risen, marking a new day. But I do hope that they do something more entertaining today. For the past few days, they just go out sight-seeing, boring the crap out of me, but I willed myself to keep watching them.

"Hey Kirito let's go play!" I heard Asuna request her new husband.

"But we played all day yesterday… And the day before." Kirito yawned. He seems to have just woken up.

"So you're saying you don't want to play?!" Asuna's voice had a slight irritation to it as if she were mad. After a short pause, Kirito answered her.

"Actually. There is a place we can go to. Come on let's get ready!"

 **(Asuna)**

 **A couple minutes later**

Kirito-kun and I walked down the path towards one of the many lakes in the area. He hasn't told me where we are going and I'm getting impatient.

"Can't you just tell me where we are going already?

"Nope. It's a secret. You're just gonna have to wait till we get there"

"Hey Kirito, carry me on your shoulders." I asked him, smiling.

"Carry you? Seriously…" Kirito's response showed that he didn't want to do it but I didn't want to give up.

"Oh come on! It's no fun seeing everything from the same height. Plus, your STR parameter is high enough to carry me with ease, now is it?"

"I know that but…" Kirito scratched his head as if thinking what to say, "Don't you think you're a little too old for that though?"

"I don't care how old I am! Come on. No one's watching."

"Oh fine…" Kirito finally gave in and crouched down.

I got behind Kirito and began pulling up my skirt so it wouldn't bother Kirito while he carries me. But before I got on, I had to take precautions.

"If you turn around I'll slap you!"

"Are you going to hop on or what?" I giggled and got on Kirito's shoulders. I pat his head, signaling that I was ready and he stood up with ease. Ahead of us, I can see the lake that this path leads to. I could even see the waterfall that supplied the lake and its roaring waters.

"Wow! You can already see the lake from here! It's so beautiful!"

"No. You can see the lake. All I see is—"

Before he could say another word, I silenced him by forcefully moving his head with my hands.

"Okay fine. Once I'm done, I'll be the one to carry you later." Kirito let out a sigh to my childish response, "Now let's get a move on! We're heading north-northeast!"

I pointed towards the lake and Kirito involuntarily started marching his way there. I couldn't help but giggle the whole way there. And as we got closer, I actually saw players nearby. They were happily fishing in the lake.

As we walked down a small path right next to the lake's shoreline, the trees got low enough that I actually had to crouch down. But a certain branch with red berries caught my eye and I snapped it off and showed it to Kirito. As we admired it, I noticed a certain berry with black spots start moving.

All of the sudden, the thing that I thought was a berry started buzzing and flew right past my nose. It was a lady bug! I started laughing at my foolishness.

"It almost flew up my nose!" I laughed out. As I did, I sensed the eyes of the fishers watching us. Sure enough they were indeed looking at our direction.

"There's definitely nobody here…" Kirito said sarcastically.

"I guess we have our own audience." I giggled. I looked back to the fishers and noticed one of them waving at us. I decided to not be rude and wave back. I then started tapping Kirito's head, urging to also wave back.

"Nope. Not doing it." His response was blunt and firm. I can tell he's made up his mind and will not change it.

"Is it because I'm on you? Do you want me to get off?"

"Nope. You're fine just where you are!"

And with that, Kirito broke into a sprint, making me lose my balance a little bit. At first I screamed, but then laughed as I felt a nice breeze rush past my face. We ran all the way around the lake until we found a clearing in the woods, which Kirito took.

The forests around these areas are pretty but also very dense. Even in broad daylight, a few spots received none of it. It reminded me of a rainforest too with its giant trees. It would be fun if I could climb up one and see the view from up there.

"So I heard this weird rumour yesterday." Kirito began talking, "The rumour said that if you delve deeper and deeper into the forest, you'll start to see _them_." He put emphasis on the word _them_ , catching my attention.

"See who? Who's _them_?"

Of all the things Kirito could have answered me with, he responded with the one that made me least comfortable.

"Ghosts."

At the sound of the word, a cold feeling traveled down my spine. I never liked ghosts, even if it is just an in-game monster. Heck, even in boss raids on horror-themed floors I've made up the worst excuses just so I don't have to a fight a wraith of some sort. But I was still curious.

"Y-You mean the astral-type monsters in-game, right?"

"Nope. Real ghosts."

The cold feeling in my back grew increasingly colder. What does he mean, _real_ ghosts?

"They say the tormented souls of the monsters hunted here come back to haunt the forest during the night."

At that moment, I heard the sound of a branch snapping behind me. I turned around but saw nothing out of place. I even used my Tracking skill and looked to see if there any mobs nearby. There were none. But what made the sound?

Kirito continued walking further into the forest. The trees are getting denser and the clouds seem to be blocking the already limited sun. I also noticed a very thin fog forming around us.

"Continuing with the story, a woodcrafter came here to get some wood for a project. He got so focused into gathering the wood that night had already fallen. He caught a glimpse of something white, standing next to a tree. Frightened, he ran away immideately. This happened a week ago."

My fear of ghosts and ghost-related stuff kicked in and my heart started pounding. At the same time, something caught the corner of my eye. I turned to whatever I caught a glimpse of and saw a faint white figure not too close to us. It was walking aimlessly into a grove of trees. Blending with the fog, it was hard to make out what it was but it was enough to scare me. Meanwhile, Kirito kept going on with his story.

"Was it a monster? The white shadow walked slowly into a nearby grove of trees—"

Before he could take any further, I pulled against his hair and pointed towards the spectre-like thing that was walking near us.

"Look!" I could feel my mouth tremble in fear and hear the terror in my voice. Then, I couldn't handle it anymore. "Kirito! I wanna get down! I wanna get down!"

I quickly got off of Kirito's shoulders and hid behind him. I looked towards the direction of the ghost and noticed it had stopped. I used my Eagle-Vision and tried to get a closer look at it. It looked like a girl.

"What's wrong with you?" Kirito questioned.

"Over there," I said pointing towards the ghost, "Is that it?"

"What are you talking about?" Kirito turned his attention to the direction I was pointing towards. He squinted his eyes and gasped, "No way… You gotta be kidding!"

My fear was overwhelming me now and I dropped down to my knees and protected myself from anything and everything. That is, until Kirito shouted out:

"That's not a ghost!"

He ran towards the direction where I last saw the ghost and disappeared into the brushes.

"W-Wait! Kirito!" I got up on my feet and started following him despite my current state. "Oh jeez…"

I saw him holding a little girl in a white dress in his arms. She seemed too young to be out here alone. Her long black hair was stained with dirt and grass.

"It's… A player."

"Yeah, but there seems to be something strange about her."

"What is it?" I observed the little girl but didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. That is, until Kirito mentioned it.

"Look," he pointed to the area above her head, "She has no cursor."

The cursor determines if a certain entity is a monster, NPC, or a player. Monsters have different cursors based on your current level. Players are based on criminal status. And NPCs are based on if they are vendors, quest-givers, or normal NPCs. But this girl had none of those.

"Is it some kind of bug?"

"Most likely. I can't think of any other way."

"But… What's a little girl like her doing playing SAO?" I stared into the girl's young face. Her eyes weren't open so she must be sleeping. "Well we definitely can't leave her out here. Let's take her back to our place and find out more about her when she wakes up."

"Got it." Kirito concur as he picked up the girl and carried her in his arms.

As we walked back to our player home, I just kept staring into the sleeping girl's face. If Kirito said that she was first spotted over a week ago, then how long has she been out here?

 **(Mortifer)**

 **A few hours later, sunset**

Kirito and Asuna has been watching over the girl for hours now. They've set her down on a bed. She hasn't opened her eyes ever since they found her, but something didn't feel right…

The first time I saw the girl's face. I was attacked by images. Images of the first three people I killed in this world. Images of the Night of the Forest. The way those three people screamed in terror and for mercy. Thinking about it made the Voices audible so I cleared my head and calmed myself down.

I'm sitting on the balcony now, which is pretty risky since it is right next to the bedroom. I took precautions by making sure I was sitting at the edge of the balcony so I can just drop down. But they still haven't seem to notice me yet, even while I am so close.

"There's one thing for sure," I heard Kirito through the wall, "She can't be an NPC because we had no trouble whatsoever moving her here."

"Yeah," Asuna agreed, "If she were, we would have gotten a warning message for picking her up."

"She isn't a quest-NPC either. Our quest log had no updates to it when we interacted with her. She's got to be a player. She may have gotten lost and wandered around the forest. That's the most likely scenario here."

"Yeah but… Was exactly was she doing out there?"

"No clue, but she has to have some sort of family she logged in with."

"Hey, do you think she will wake up?"

"Of course. Her body hasn't disappeared so that must mean that it's still sending signals to the brain. She must be in a sleep-like state right now. She should wake up sooner or later."

Later that night

 _The only sounds to be heard in the night were the hooing of owls and the cricketing of crickets. Remove those, and you will have the ultimate recipe for silence. Not even the vast lake next to the house would make a sound even with the small waterfall constantly supplying it with more water._

 _Everyone is asleep now except for me. I didn't have trouble sleeping before tonight. Something tingled inside me, like someone calling for me. I sat up and stretched my muscles. The roof really isn't a good place to lie down and sleep at, but I don't want to sleep down in the grass either._

 _I silently paced around the roof, trying to tire myself out so I could sleep. I did it for five minutes straight but felt no change in mood or tiredness. Soon I became hungry and decided to take a big risk._

 _Whenever I became hungry, I would always sneak into the house and grab whatever food they had lying around that was about to expire. And what better way to enter a house sneakily than through the front door!_

 _As I munched on some leftover sandwiches Asuna had made for Kirito, I decided to walk around the house more. It really wasn't a bad house. Although not as big, it was as nice as the one we had at the Island. But this place is still far too expensive…_

 _I took a seat at the sofa and quietly ate the sandwich. Although spicy is not my type, Asuna's Cooking skill is high enough to make it taste good. Maybe she got interested when Violet taught her how to cook that one time._

 _I devoured the rest of my sandwich and wiped my hands on my cloak. I stood up from the sofa and cleaned up the mess I left behind, making sure not to leave any evidence. I was about to leave through the front door again when I sensed something behind me. It definitely notices me, nor does it feel friendly. But I've felt Kirito and Asuna stare at me before while I had my back turned, and that is nowhere compared to what I feel now._

 _I slowly turned my head and widened my eyes in shock. Down at the end of the hallway, next to the entrance of the bedroom, the little girl stood, staring at me. Nothing seemed out of place about her except her eyes. They were just a void of black, but it pierced into my soul and tore at it._

 _Frozen in fear, I couldn't move at all. The girl slowly approached me. Each step she took made me shiver in fear. Why is that so? The Cave brought me challenges way more difficult than this, yet I'm completely paralyzed._

 _The girl is right in front of me now. She looked at me, with her dark empty eyes and reached her hand out. The already dark room seemed to dim until I found myself in a completely black room. All I could see was myself and the girl. She reached her hand out and touched mine._

 _Her touch was as cold as ice but also painful. And at the same time, images filled my head. All the images of those who I killed, screaming in pain. The Voices that were whispers only moments ago turned into the sound of a jet engine. I fell on my knees and grabbed my head in agony. All I could remember before I blacked out, was the terror-filled scream I let out._

 **The next morning**

I woke up with a start. My breathing was ragged and my heart was pounding. The Voices though, weren't screaming.

"I-It was… Just a dream." I wheezed.

Although it seemed hard to believe since everything felt so real. I felt like I was actually there, yet I just know that it was a dream. That's because if it wasn't I wouldn't be sitting on the roof right now. If I did scream, Kirito and Asuna would surely have awoken and found me.

"It's that girl… There's something about her that's making me see these visions." I talked to myself

I haven't had a nightmare since the day after the execution, yet this girl somehow manages to cause me nightmares. Or at least she is the cause of them…

I looked at the dark blue sky and noticed it is still early morning. I dropped down to the balcony and took a peek inside. Kirito and Asuna were still asleep and so was the girl. Looking at the girl's face now didn't give me any images of the past. I sighed and sat down at the balcony railing. I'm still slightly tired, so I decided to close my eyes and rest.

 **A few hours later**

I woke up to the sound of Asuna shouting. I opened my eyes but closed them right away as I was staring right at the sun. I turned myself over and opened my eyes to get them to adjust to the daylight. Once they adjusted I sat up quietly and stretched my muscles.

"She woke up." I heard Asuna's voice coming from inside. Quickly and silently, I dropped down to the balcony and listened, "Thank goodness. Do you remember what happened to you?"

I heard a faint sound, like a hum. The way it sounded, the girl must be saying no. Did she loser her memories like me?

"What's your name then? Can you tell me or do you not remember?"

A soft and weak voice then spoke out.

"My… Name?" the voice said. The voice belonged to the girl for sure, "I think… I think my name is… Yui… Yes. That's my name!"

"That's a cute name. Nice to meet you Yui-chan. My name is Asuna. This here is Kirito."

"Auna? Kito?" The girl couldn't seem to comprehend their names.

"Hey Yui-chan, can you try to remember what you were doing in the forest? Also, do you know where your parents are?"

There was a moment of silence as we awaited for the girl's answer. Finally she spoke up.

"I don't know… I don't know anything."

"Oh no. That's awful." Asuna pitied.

This Yui girl has lost her memories, just like me. How is it even possible to lose your memories in the game anyway? It doesn't make much sense.

"Well at least you're awake." I heard Kirito's voice speak up. "Can I call you Yui?" I heard a faint mumble coming from the girl. "Ok, you can call me Kirito then!"

"Kito?"

"It's Kirito. Ki-Ri-To" My brother tried teaching the girl how to say his name properly but in vain.

"Kito."

"It's fine. Maybe it's a little hard for you. How about you call me whatever is easy for you?"

There was a short pause before the girl spoke. And when she did choose the name, it surprised me as much as it surprised Kirito.

"Papa."

"Wah? Me?"

"Auna is Mama."

The girl reminded me of a newly animal. The first thing it sees, it will usually think of it as their parent. And in my perspective, this is exactly what is happening.

"That's right. I'm your Mama Yui-chan."

"Mama!" Yui cried out. "Mama! Papa!"

"You must be hungry. How about breakfast?"

"Okay!"

 **An hour later**

The three of them sat at the living room and I'm no longer on the roof. Instead, I'm watching from a tree right next to the house. From here, I can get a better view of what they're doing, but I also can't hear a lot of what they're saying.

They had just finished eating a meal and the girl is currently sleeping. Kirito and Asuna sat together and watched her sleep.

"So what do you think?" I heard Asuna speak. Her voice sounded like a whisper from this distance.

"No clue. She doesn't seem to remember anything." Kirito responded, his voice also like a whisper.

"I know… It's like she is a baby again. Newly born." I could see Asuna start rubbing her eyes as if she were crying, "I'm sorry. I just… I just don't know what to do."

"Don't worry. I get it. You want to take care of her until she fully recovers her memories, right?"

"Yeah I do, but…"

"It's a dilemma. We also need to get back to the front lines and help clear the game. If not, then it will just take that much longer for Yui to be free and healed. But for now, we need to do the best we can. Given her current gear, she couldn't have been outside in the forest everyday."

Kirito is right. If they take care of Yui, that will prevent them from going to the front lines much. But if they don't go to the front lines, neither Yui nor the players of SAO will get out until maybe a year or so.

"We should check the Town of Beginnings. There's a place there where orphaned kids stuck inside the game are being sheltered. Maybe she has family members there looking for her"

"Yeah… We should." Asuna's voice sounded sad and depressed. I could tell she doesn't want to leave Yui, even if she had just met her.

"I get how you're feeling Asuna. It's weird since we just met her, but having her here made it feel like a real home. Like we were a real family."

At the sound of family, I was reminded of the promise I made to my parents. I was also reminded of the family I have in-game. My friends back in the Island.

"Don't worry about it. It's not like we can't see her ever again if we find her family. Her parent or guardian must be worried sick anyway so we should try to find them quick."

"Yeah. When she wake's up, we will go to the Starting City and look for her parents."

"We should make sure we are armed. That place is basically owned by The Army. We wouldn't want to be attacked.

"Yes. We should keep our guard up when we are there."

As they discussed their plans, the sleeping Yui twitched a little bit and opened her mouth to speak. I was too far away to apprehend what she was saying, but from reading her lips, I knew what she said:

"Mama. Papa."

 **Later that day, Afternoon, 1st floor**

I had already gone off and teleported to the Starting City before Kirito and Asuna reached the Teleport Gate at the Coral Village. And once I got here, I knew something was wrong.

I looked around the city and found it… empty. Of course, there were NPCs and a few players here and there but it didn't seem right. This city is the biggest city, as well as one of the most populated cities, if not the most, in all of Aincrad. Yet there were barely any players at the main plaza.

I didn't even need to use my Cloak of Darkness to hide since the place looked so deserted. And as usual, I took to the shadows first before heading for high ground by climbing up on the roofs of buildings.

A minute later, Kirito, Asuna and Yui appeared at the city's Teleport Gate. With Yui on Kirito's back, the three of them stepped off the platform and observed their surroundings. From their expressions, it seems they too notice the emptiness of the city. And the nostalgic feeling of having been here before is strong.

They first headed towards the city's market, which would most likely be the most crowded place here. As I followed them from rooftop, I noticed that even the market place was sort of empty. I could see only two people shopping at NPC-vendors. Other than that, there was nothing.

Now entering the market district, Kirito, Asuna and Yui wandered around the empty streets of city. They walked for a while until they stopped. There is almost nobody here, which makes no sense at all. The unsettling silence got shattered by a woman's shouting.

"Give back the children!" a woman's voice cried out.

We all turned towards the sound of the cry. We looked upon a dark, long alleyway. The woman's shout must've come from there.

"Hey hey hey! It's the daycare lady!" a masculine voice sounded in the air.

"We've been waiting for you!" another voice spoke up.

Kirito and Asuna then turned and ran into the alleyway. I quickly jumped from roof to roof, following them.

"Give back the children, please!" the woman's voice cried out again. Her voice sounding desperate. What is going on here?

I went ahead of Kirito and Asuna and found a group of Army soldiers talking to a lady in blue. Behind the soldiers, three kids stood behind them with frightened expressions.

"You make it sound like we are doing something bad." One of the soldiers spoke, "We are just teaching these kids how things work around here, that's all. Collecting taxes from the citizens of the city is one of our key duties as a member of The Army.

"And the citizens have a duty to pay taxes, just like in the real world." A different soldier spoke up. The group of Army soldiers started laughing while one of them had his hand reached out towards the lady, as if he were expecting a payment.

"Ginn! Cain! Mina!" the woman cried out, "Are you guys over there!" Before the lady could move to see if the kids were there, the soldier in front of her blocked her way, angering her.

"Sasha-sensei! Please save us!" one of the little kids called out.

"You guys, just forget the money and give it to them!"

"It's not good enough! They want more!" another kid answered.

"You guys sure owe us a hell load of taxes. So why don't you just take off all your equipment and set it down on the ground right there." Before continuing, the guy formed an evil smile on his face, "That includes clothes and armor. Every, last, piece!"

The Army soldiers began laughing fanatically. The woman, Sasha, got angered so much that she put her hand on the hilt of the sword strapped on her waist.

"Get out of the way!" Sasha threatened. She started drawing out her sword but hesitated. And at that time, Kirito and Asuna arrived.

The two of them ran past Sasha and jumped over the whole group of Army soldiers, surprising them. While Kirito held his ground in front of the soldiers, Asuna went over to the kids.

"It's okay now. You can put your equipment back on." Asuna gave the kids a warm and friendly smile, earning her a nod from the kids. The soldiers finally started reacting.

"Hey, what the hell is this? Who are you guys?"

"You mean to interfere with our mission?"

"Hold on for a sec…" a soldier walked up to face Kirito. Because he did so, I'm now assuming he's probably their leader. "I haven't seen you around here before… Don't you know what it means to defy the Liberation Army?!"

Their leader drew out his sword and waved it in the air, earning him a chear from his fellow comrades. I scoffed at his words and his comrades' actions. If it helps you guys learn how to not be stupid and not go on suicide boss raids, then yeah, I'll go on a war with you guys.

"Kirito. Let me handle this." Asuna told her husband. Kirito took a step back and let Asuna fill in for him.

She materialized her rapier and unsheathed Lambent Light. With her rapier ready, she activated a Sword Skill and attacked the leader of the group.

Because we are in the Area, his HP didn't drop, but he still experienced the usual knockback effect. The guy was sent sprawling to the ground and Asuna kept attacking. The Army platoon took a few steps back from Asuna as they watch their leader get beat around.

"Don't worry. We're in a Safe-Zone Area. Your health won't drop here. That also means I can attack you as much as I want."

I smiled and laughed on the inside. This is the Asuna you don't want to see come out. This is the Asuna that I know of from all those times I was interrogated. This… Is the Flash.

"S-Stop!" their leader pleaded but Asuna ignored his pleas and attacked him once more. "You guys! Don't just stand there and watch! Do something!"

Regaining their will, all the soldiers drew out their swords and surrounded Asuna, who stood her ground. Although she was outnumbered, Kirito didn't move at all. There's no doubt that Asuna can take all of them but she will definitely be exhausted.

One by one, Asuna took down each soldier and made them fall to to the ground from exhaustion. None of them dared to stand back up and started to slowly crawl away. Meanwhile, Asuna is trying to recover from her shortness of breath. Although she took no hits, having to dodge and block has exhausted her.

"R-Retreat!" their leader shouted.

The group of Army soldiers all picked up their weapons and ran away as fast as possible, not daring to look back. They disappeared out of sight but their shots can still be heard in the distance. When the shouting disappeared, Asuna sheathed her rapier and sighed.

"Whoa! Nee-chan! That was so cool!" One of the kids shouted. They all crowded around Asuna, who was surprised, "I've never seen anything like that before!

"You were so cool!" the little girl shouted. The daycare lady, Sasha, also approached Asuna saying:

"Thank you for helping us out miss."

While Asuna's too busy getting swarmed by kids, I looked towards Kirito and Yui. Kirito smiled and started talking, though I couldn't hear anything since the kids were so loud. But Yui then raised her hand, reached up to the sky and said two words:

"Everyone's hearts…"

When she said those two words, I felt as if something was watching me. I turned around and saw nothing, but I could still feel a pair of eyes watching me.

"Everyone's hearts are…" I heard Yui faintly repeat.

"Yui what's wrong?" Kirito asked her. Free from the children mobbing her, Asuna approached Yui.

"Yui is something wrong? Did you remember something?" she asked her. Yui then started holding on tighter to Kirito, scared.

"I-I was never here. In this place… I was always alone… in the dark!"

At that moment, a loud noise emanated from every direction and Yui started screaming. Her screams reached into my head and dug deep inside.

Her screams attacked my memories, making them appear before my eyes. The Voices inside my head are now screaming in agony. I wanted to scream out in pain as well, but then I would give myself away. I forced myself not to scream until I finally blanked out from the excruciating heacache.

 _Blood. Blood everywhere. Blood on the ground. Blood on the walls. Blood on my clothes and weapons. That was all I could see until lightning cracked the sky. Rain started pouring down and I found myself at the ruined arena. The day my execution was held._

 _In front of me was Asuna, rapier held ready. Although she stood her ground, she was shaking in complete fear. Her eyes were full of it too. Her whole body showed signs of fear._

 _That's when I felt my body move by itself, slowly towards Asuna. She pointed her rapier at me and waved it, trying to intimidate me._

 _"S-Stay back! I'm warning you!" she yelled._

 _I tried to scream for her to run away, but my voice wouldn't work. I used all of my strength and willpower to make my body stop, but it didn't work._

 _I was only a few steps away from Asuna when a figure stepped between us. The person wore all black and held a glossy black sword in his hands. It was my brother, Kirito._

 _"Mortifer stay back!" he pleaded but my body refused, "I'm warning you! If you take one more-"_

 _Before he could even finish his sentence, I uncontrollably smacked Kirito away, sending him flying to a wall nearby. Now it was only me and Asuna, who had dropped her rapier and is now on the ground._

 _I walked up to her and picked her up by the neck. Her body felt as light as a feather. I held her up high, choking her. I could see strain on her face as she gasped for air whilst trying to pry my hands off of her._

 _"You promised to protect your brother from harm right Mortifer?" an unfamiliar voice called out. When it did, I felt my mouth move, although I didn't say anything. "Does that include his emotions and mentality?"_

 _"W-Who are you?!" I called out desperately to the strange voice._

 _"Why I'm you Katsumoto!" My mouth moved again but I didn't speak those words. "I'm the darkness inside of you! But instead of calling me your Darkness, you can call me with the name you gave yourself. Mortifer."_

 _"S-Stop this right now! Put Asuna down!" I commanded the Darkness controlling me._

 _"Let me think about it…" At that moment, I felt my hand squeeze Asuna's neck even tigther and heard the noise of bones cracking. Asuna's eyes widened in shock and her body went limp. "Oops! I'm sorry I didn't mean to do that."_

 _I let go of Asuna and she dropped dead to the ground. Her open mouth started leaking out blood even though I only broke her neck. The Voices are now screaming out at me. But there was only one scream that truly shattered my mind._

 _I watched as my little brother picked up the dead Asuna and set her head on his lap. He broke down crying, embracing the beautiful corpse of the Flash tightly. My nightmare finally ended, with Kirito's earth-shattering cry._

 **November 2024, the next morning**

Instead of waking up screaming or with a start, I woke up rather slowly. I slowly opened my eyes to see an orange sky. The rays of the rising sun on the horizon shined upon my face, making me feel warm despite the cold air around me.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, waking myself up. It was only afternoon when Yui screamed and I passed out, and it's already morning. I opened my menu to check the time only to notice that it about to be nine o' clock in the morning. I've been asleep for at least fifteen hours.

The good thing is, is that I'm still here, which means that nobody found me up here. The bad news however, is that I don't know where Kirito and Asuna are at.

I stood up and stretched, trying to get my muscles to move. My movement felt sluggish and tiresome. This is what I get for oversleeping I guess. If only I had something on me that can wake me up faster.

Kirito and Asuna came to this town to look for Yui's parents, and The Army people said that the Sasha person is also the day-care lady. Kirito and Asuna must've gone with her. But the better question is, which of these hundred buildings can be used as a day-care center?

I got my answer right away when I heard a loud bell ring nearby. I turned to see a church with its bell ringing. I counted nine rings, signaling that the ninth hour of the morning has started.

It would only make sense for a church to be used as some day-care place or even an orphanage. Plus, it seems that the church is the only lead I have right now. But I'm sure that they're there, sleeping probably. I climbed down the roof and casually walked through the streets, heading for the church nearby.

 **A couple of hours later, Afternoon**

I entered the church as soon as I got there and took a peek inside. Sure enough, there were kids there. I also found Kirito, Asuna, and Yui inside in their own private room. Right now, the orphanage is having lunch. Even from all the way at the top of the church's belltower, I can hear the shouts of the kids inside. I never thought there would be so many kids that young would start playing SAO.

Right now, I have no interest to eavesdrop on conversations, nor will I even be able to due to the noise. Other than the top of Black Iron Palace, this belltower is probably the highest point of the whole city. I sat on the edge of it, admiring the wonderful view. I'm high enough to look past the city's walls and see the floating islands. I can even see the ruined coliseum I was supposed to be killed at using Eagle-Vision.

I enjoyed the view as well as the warm sun until I heard echoing footsteps from below me. I looked down to see a lone person, walking towards the church. I used Eagle-Vision and indentified the person as a woman with silver hair. Adding onto that, the woman also wore the standard uniform of The Army.

The lady walked up the steps of the church and stopped in front of the door. As she was about to knock, I decided to climb down and see what she was up to. I hid myself in the bushes nearby. The door of the church opened, and I saw Kirito, Asuna and Sasha appear from behind it.

"I'm sorry to bother you in this fine day. My name is Yulier." The woman greeted herself.

"You're with The Army, aren't you?" Asuna determined, observing Yulier's attire, "I hope you're not here to start trouble because of yesterday."

"Actually I'm here to do the exact opposite of that. You did right by putting those men in their place." Yulier's response surprised Kirito and Asuna, making them look at each other and shrug. "But I did come here for something other than thanks. I need your help.

"H-help?!" Kirito and Asuna spoke in unison.

 **A minute later**

All of them have gone inside now, forcing me to relocate my position. Thankfully, the kids have calmed down, letting me hear their conversations more easily. I stood right outside the room they were in, leaning next to an open window.

The five of them, including a sleepy Yui, sat at a table and are now discussing about what Yulier is requesting them to do.

"When the guild was formed, our leader, Thinker, never wanted it to turn into the dictatorial state it has become now." Yulier started explaining her story, "At first, our mission was to provide resources to as many players possible, equally and evenly."

"But then the guild grew too big, didn't it?" Kirito pointed out.

In terms of power, the Knights of the Blood Oath and the Divine Dragon Alliance are tied for the number one spots. But the number of members they have are nothing compared to the Aincrad Liberation Force. They are called The Army for that very reason.

"Correct. Multiple power struggles popped up until one man became very powerful. Powerful enough to be considered as the 2nd leader. His name is Kibaou."

At the sound of that name, a fire ignited inside of me. A fire of fueled with hate, rage and anger for that man. The man who caused the deaths of innocent people because of his stupidity and greed for power.

"Kibaou and his faction became stronger and stronger, monopolizing all good farming spots in the lower floors. Him and his faction has become completely out of control, to the point where they are now enforcing taxes on the citizens of this city, as you saw yesterday. A lot of people got mad at him since he didn't care about clearing the game, so he began to lose power. In order to keep this power, he sent the highest level players he had and ordered them to clear a floor boss."

Hearing her explanation made me want to punch the wall I was leaning at. So those guys were his men, and he didn't even join them in his fiasco. Kibaou really is a coward…

"Kibaou was denounced because of that complete massacre, and we were close to kicking him out of the guild for good. Because of this, he got scared of losing all of his power and set up a trap for Thinker." At that moment, Yulier's voice faltered for a second. "Kibaou stranded Thinker in a high-level dungeon that he can't escape from."

Everyone gasped except for the drowsy Yui who is struggling to stay awake. The fire raging inside of me burned even brighter. If I see Kibaou again, there is a high chance that I'm just going to kill him on the spot.

"Can't Thinker teleport out of the dungeon?" Kirito asked her, but Yulier shook her head in response.

"Thinker is completely unarmed. Kibaou said he wanted to talk, unarmed, and Thinker listened. He was just too trusting. This happened three days ago."

"Thinker has been gone that long?" Asuna exclaimed.

"Yes. He can't escape either because of the high-level monsters that lurk within. It's impossible for him to get out on his own, so as second-in-command, it is my duty to save him." Yulier started sobbing now.

"But my level is nowhere near high enough to reach him. At the same time, Kibaou is using his influence to keep the rest of the members from helping me. But that's when I saw a group of guild members run inside Black Iron Palace yesterday, screaming in fear. When I had asked them what was going on, they told me that the Twin-Blade Swordsman and the Flash were in town. That's when I knew that this was my chance. My only chance!"

Yulier stood up from her chair and slammed her hands on the able almost instantaneously. She was desperate.

"Kirito. Asuna. I beg you! Will you please help me save Thinker?"

The couple looked at each other, hesitating. It was silent for a few seconds until Asuna answered her back.

"If you think that we can handle this rescue mission then we'd love to do so, but we aren't exactly sure about your story. Can you somehow verify it?"

"I know that I'm asking a lot out from you two and I'm sorry for that." Yulier snapped back, "But when I think about Thinker being alone in there, I feel like I'm losing my mind!"

Yulier started tearing up but Kirito and Asuna didn't know how to respond. They just brought their heads down and started thinking. And that's when Yui took the spotlight.

"Mama. It's fine." Yui affirmed, "Everything she is telling you is thr truth."

"Y-You can tell?" Asuna questioned the little girl.

"Yes, although I don't know how. I just know that she's telling the truth!" Yui gave Asuna a warm and comforting smile.

Everyone stared blankly at the little girl. No… She's not ordinary. There's something special about her. Not of the sudden nightmares and visions I'm seeing, but something else.

The uneasy silence was finally broken by Kirito, who laughed out loud and and gave a reassuring smile to everyone.

"If anything, I'd rather trust and regret than doubt and regret." Kirito stated, "Let's go! It should work out fine, right?"

"You're always so laid-back, aren't you?" Asuna giggled. She then turned her attention to Yulier, "We'll do what we can. I just hope that it's enough."

"Thank you so much." Yulier expressed her gratitude.

"I know how it feels like to save someone. Especially someone you care a lot about." Asuna stated, "Hey Yui, stay here okay? Wait for us until we get back."

"No!" the little girl exploded, "I'm coming with Mama and Papa!"

"Oh come on Yui," Sasha began, "don't you wan't to stay here with me?"

"No!" Yui seems to be throwing a tantrum.

"Great. I guess this is her rebellious side." Kirito sighed.

"Oh shush it, this is serious!" Asuna snapped, "Yui, this place is too dangerous for you to come along with us."

Despite all of these warnings and suggestions, Yui quickly wrapped her arms around Kirito's and hugged it so tightly that Kirito flinched and tried pushing her away.

"I'm coming too!" She affirmed.

Jeez… Now I can see how my parents felt when I was just a baby. This is a complete pain to deal with.

"I don't think she's ever going to change her mind Asuna." Kirito worried. Asuna let out a long sigh.

"Since you put it that way, I guess we have no choice." Asuna got up from her chair and picked up Yui, "We'll go get our gear ready now. Give us ten minutes or so and we'll meet up with you at Black Iron Palace."

 **Ten minutes later, basement of Black Iron Palace**

Never have I ever seen this place before. I've visited the Black Iron Palace numerous times, but I have never seen a dungeon below the building. Was this always here? Or did it get unlocked once we reached a certain floor? It would only make sense for this dungeon to be unlocked when a certain floor was reached. Placing a high level dungeon at the lowest floor would be idiotic.

The entrance of the dungeon itself though was huge. The sewer system ran beneath a stone bridge, leading to a dark open threshold. Rows of pillars stood in the murky sewer water. I couldn't even see the walls at the very end of the dungeon since there wasn't much light.

The bad thing is, I'm having to swim in the sewer water since it was the best place I could hide from them while making sure I can hear them. I would unintentionally let the water enter my mouth, making myself retch. The water is the foulest thing I have ever tasted in my mouth.

Despite the punishment I get, I continued to swim silently across the waters. I stayed as close to the bridge as possible and had one hand hanging on to it. When they finally reached the dark tunnel, I started climbing up the bridge to take a look.

"This staircase will mark the start of the dungeon. At the bottom of the staircase, there will be monsters." Yulier explained to Kirito and Asuna.

The two of them nervously looked at Yui who stared at the darkness of the stairs. When Yui noticed everyone was staring at her, she smiled.

"Don't worry. I'm not scared!"

"Don't worry Yulier-san, she's much stronger than she looks." Asuna reassured.

"She would make a fine swordswoman someday." Kirito added on.

The four of them descended down the staircase and I climbed up onto the bridge. Before I followed them, I opened my menu and took out both of my beloved swords. If this place really is high-leveled, then I can't just let myself go completely unarmed. I then counted thirty seconds before finally going down the staircase.

 **An hour later**

The dungeon was big enough to be a standard floor Labyrinth, but no way did it look like one. This place is just one gigantic hallway with a few crossroads here and there. The monsters were all high-leveled but they were still no match for Kirito and Asuna. And whenever I encountered monsters, I dispatched them in an instant so I won't have to waste time luring them away from the group of four.

My legs were already giving way since we have descended down multiple staircases. I can run from one side of the 24th floor to the other end while only being slightly exhausted. Yet, I'm so easily defeated by stairs, even when it's going down.

While I maintained a steady pace to keep my stamina up, I continued to listen to Kirito, Asuna and Yulier.

"Hey look over there. That light." Asuna spoke up, pointing towards a place in front of us. Using Eagle-Vision, I looked past them and saw a tiny door way emitting a bright white light. "That must be the Safe-Zone Area you were talking about."

"There's one person inside." Kirito informed us. This statement made Yulier gasp and break into a sprint.

"It must be Thinker!"

"W-Wait! Yulier-san!" Kirito called out for her but was ignored. The two of them broke off into a sprint, and the sleeping Yui on Asuna's back jolted awake.

I started sprinting along with them and soon got in range to be able to see Thinker. He stood in the Safe-Zone Area, waving his arms frantically.

"Yulier!" he called out to his second-in-command.

"Thinker!" she responded back. Her moment of bliss ended utterly when Thinker yelled out:

"No don't! Don't come any closer! The path ahead!"

My eyes widened as something towards the right of my vision popped up. It was still blurry from this distance, but it was definitely a name.

"It's a trap!"

 **(Kirito)**

I broke off into a sprint, desperate to stop Yulier. Asuna followed behind me calling out for Yulier.

"Yulier-san! Stop!"

But the silver-haired lady kept running. I quickly caught up with her and pulled her back. I used my sword and stabbed it into the ground, using it as a brake to stop ourselves.

And as halted to a stop, a large silver blade struck the ground in front of us, creating sparks against the stone. The stone itself, cracked and crumbled to pieces. I admired the silver blade and notice that it was the shape of a sickle. But looking at the entirety of the weapon itself, I knew that the handle was too big to be a sickle. It was a scythe.

The whole dungeon gave out a blue light and the ceiling above us held the appearance of the night sky. The scythe that had cracked the stone floor in front of us flew up into the air. In front of us, a giant shadow flew from one side of the hallway and disappeared to the other side in a second.

I stood up and drew both my swords, leaving Yulier behind. I faced the giant boss in front of me, who had its back turned. It was a giant, standing five meters from the ground. Right above its head, the name The Fatal Scythe hovered in all of its deathly glory.

When it turned to face me, I could see that the boss held the appearance of the god of death. A grim reaper. Its red eyes pierced me like a blade. Its body levitated off of the ground and so did its ruined cloak. The scythe it wielded was about the same size as the boss itself. I then searched for its health bar but the only thing I could find is a red hexagon with the words, Unknown next to it.

The Searching skill is used to be able to identify, track down, and see entities farther away. When you are a front liner, it is a must to have this skill, as it will help you identify monsters and see their health bar. But this boss only had a red cursor on top of it and its name. If I can't even see its health bar when my Searching skill is so high…

I felt Asuna right behind me, with her sword drawn out and ready to fight. Yulier has taken Yui with her to the Safe-Zone Area with Thinker. But this boss has already proved itself to be dangerous just by not letting me see its Health Bar.

"Asuna… Take Yui and the others and get out of here." I mumbled to her.

"What? No way! I'm not leaving you." She argued back, making me a bit irritated.

"Asuna… This boss… I can't even see its dataeven with my Searching skill being almost fully complete. This monster must be something that comes from Floor Ninety. I'll buy you sometime, now go!"

"If I'm going then you're coming with me!" At that moment, I snapped.

"Go! I'll catch up with you later!" My voice scared Asuna enough to make her gasp. I haven't been this angry in a long time, but I can't bear to see Asuna get hurt or worse, die.

At first, Asuna seemed reluctant, but she finally sheathed her rapier and ran back to the Sfae-Zone Area. I let out a sigh of relief, and faced the boss.

The grim reaper's eyes sparked orange and it raised its scythe. I crossed both of my swords, preparing to block. The moment the scythe made contact with me though, I was sent flying. I lost the grip of my swords and hit the ceiling of the dungeon. I fell back down to the ground with a thud.

"Kirito-kun!" Asuna cried out.

As I heard her running towards me, I observed my health bar and my eyes broadened in horror. My health bar was blinking orange, barely in the red-zone.

The Fatal Scythe slowly hovered towards us. Asuna tried to help me up but I couldn't help her since I couldn't even feel my body, only my mouth.

"Asuna you need to go, now!" I urged her.

"No way! I'm not going to let you die here!" she argued back. Her eyes were tearing up as she desperately tried to carry me to the Safe-Zone Area.

At that moment, I heard a loud clang and I looked towards the boss. Its scythe glowed a dark red as the monster raised it above its head.

Adrenaline pumped through my body and the feeling of my muscles returned. Using all of my strength, I pushed Asuna away from me to protect her from the attack. She fell on the ground and turned, screaming:

"KIRITO!"

I looked at the boss as it brought down its scythe. I closed my eyes, preparing for my death when I felt a gush of wind blow past my face. A piece of cloth brushed past my face and a loud ringing sounded through the air.

I opened my eyes to see a person. He wore a black cloak and a strip of cloth that wrapped around his neck and hanging off of one side. The person held a sword in his hand. It shined extremely bright.

"Run you fool." The person spoke with a demonic voice.

The man's voice… It sounded just like the voice I heard when Kuradeel had tried to kill me. No… This is the same voice. I'm sure of it!

I felt someone grab my arm and started pulling on it. I looked to see Asuna, encouraging me to run. I followed her willingly but I continued to look at the hooded person. When we entered the Safe-Zone Area, the person who had saved me took of his cloak and threw it on the ground nearby. Underneath his cloak and strapped on his waist, was another sword.

The person drew out his other sword, surprising me completely. The two swords looked identical but one was black while the other was white. A sword of light, and a sword of darkness.

"Kirito… He-He's using two blades!" Asuna exclaimed.

"No… This can't be right. Dual Blades is a Unique Skill. It can only be owned by one person. He must be using one blade to block and the other to attack."

I had to believe that I was correct. It was only logical. Plus, there's been so many people who have started using two blades ever since they found out about me. But I knew I was completely wrong when the person's twin blades glowed a bright blue and he rushed over to the boss.

The Fatal Scythe prepared to block the incoming attack but the person, whose name I can't identify, moved incredibly fast. He unleashed the full combo of the Sword Skill. Having Dual Blades I knew that this guy wasn't joking. The Sword Skill he unleashed, is definitely Starburst Stream. I watched as he cut through the boss sixteen times before using the sword on his left hand to jab at it.

"He-He used a Sword Skill with both swords! That was Starburst Stream! Kirito-kun, does he have Dual Blades too?" Asuna was completely confused and so was I.

"I'm just as puzzled as you are Asuna." I responded, "I have no clue how, but I think he has Dual Blades too."

Including Thinker, Yulier, and Yui, we all watched in awe as the hooded person took on the boss by himself. His health bar hasn't even gone down to the yellow zone, yet he has blocked so many hits from the boss. How strong is he?

The hooded person and the boss clashed with power I have never seen before, but I couldn't tell who was winning since I can't see the boss's health. I believe the dual-wielder is winning, but I just couldn't confirm it.

"Should we go help that guy?" Thinker asked us. We didn't answer since we have no clue.

I wanted to step out there and help him but I only took one hit and already got dropped to the red-zone. This guy has been battling the boss for minutes now, tanking numerous attacks and he just now entered the yellow-zone.

It was as if the seriousness of the guy fighting The Fatal Scythe made a giant leap. I thought he was fighting really well at the start, but now he is refusing to back down or give the boss anytime to counter attack.

"We should go and help him." I heard Asuna announce. I turned to her and shook my head no, but she ignored me.

Asuna drew out her rapier and ran outside of the room, leaving us behind.

"Asuna wait!" I cried out, "You guys, take Yui and get out of here!"

I quickly pulled out a Healing Crystal and healed myself. My health insantly maxed itself out and I ran outside of the room to give chase to Asuna.

Before we could even reach the fight between the anonymous guy and the boss monster, the guy threw one of his swords at Asuna and hit her square in the face. I ran up to check on her and looked back at the man.

"You idiots! Stay back!" the guy in the hood yelled.

At that moment, the man left himself wide open and the boss monster landed a direct hit on him, sending him flying to the ceiling then falling back down.

I saw him quickly get back up and frantically reached inside his pocket to pull out a Healing Crystal. He used it without hesitation and stayed sitting down.

The boss started approaching the guy who saved us and held its scythe ready. Asuna and I rushed in between them and faced the monster. The Fatal Scythe's eyes blinked orange and it prepared to attack.

"Kirito, Asuna get out of here!" the man behind us yelled.

We ignored him and stood our ground. I crossed my sword in front of me while Asuna supported me from behind and also crossed her swords with mine. The boss brought down its scythe and hit us.

Even though I was supported with Asuna, we still got sent flying. I landed several meters away from the boss, right next to Asuna and the mysterious man.

"You fools… You guys are too weak to fight it. Look at your health bars." The guy grunted.

I observed my health bar and noticed it was already in the yellow-zone. Even with Asuna to help me, it still took down half my health. But that's when I heard both Yulier and Thinker start shouting.

"Yui no!" Yulier's cry pierced the air.

"Yui it's dangerous out there!" Thinker yelled. At the same time, I heard the sound of people teleporting away and their shouts faded.

Step by step Yui took. She casually walked up between us and the boss. What does she think she's doing?

"Yui get out of here!" I shouted to her.

"Yui!" Asuna also cried out.

But she did nothing. The little girl we've only known for a few days stood her ground in front of an extremely powerful boss.

"Mama… Papa…" I heard Yui mutter, "Its okay."

The Fatal Scythe began targeting Yui and its scythe started glowing red and attacked. As the blade neared Yui's, Asuna let out one horrifying scream.

"YUI!"

I closed my eyes, afraid of what's going to happen to that fragile body of her's, only to hear a loud bang, as if two heavy objects collided into each other.

I opened my eyes and noticed that The Fatal Scythe has bounced several meters from its original location and is down on the ground. Yui stood there, perfectly fine. But above her head, a purple hexagon floated. Inscribed in the hexagon, were the words Immortal Object.

"I-Immortal Object?"Asuna gasped.

The Fatal Scythe began to get back up and Yui started hovering off of the ground. We all watched in awe as an orange flame covered Yui and burnt off her clothes. Her clothes changed back to the same white outfit we found her wearing the first day we met her.

At the same time, a giant flaming sword had appeared in Yui's hands. The sword seemed too big for Yui to wield and it would like even I would have trouble just carrying it. She raised the sword and flew over to the boss monster. Before her attack landed, the grim reaper raised its scythe to block.

Sparks flew everywhere from the place the sword and the scythe met. The scythe seemed to bend noticibly until the weapon snapped in half and the flaming engulfed the entire boss monster in flames.

The death god let out a low-pitched scream as its body slowly turned to ashes. All these ashes gathered up to form a ball in one place, at the tip of the flaming sword. Soon the monster disintegrated completely and the ball suddenly exploded. The lit up boss-room became dark again and the boss battle ended.

Yui slowly descended to the ground and stood there with her back turned.

"Yui-chan?" Asuna hesitantly asked.

"Yui…" I called out for her.

Before doing anything, she reached her left hand out and seemed to grab something. She tugged at it and the air next to her shimmered a bit, forming a very translucent image of a person. My eyes widened as I realize that this is definitely the same guy who had saved us. But…

I turned around to notice that the guy who fought the boss is no longer there. It was as if he disappeared or turned invisible. And now that I see Yui grab onto him, I have now confirmed that he does in fact have the ability to turn invisible.

Yui tugged on the person's clothes once more, making the person move closer to the girl. She then spoke a few words that I didn't understand.

"MHCP Prototype Three. Codename: Cloud." Yui whispered to the man.

The guy's body froze, not making a single sound or movement. Like he couldn't feel his body anymore or he was just surprised by what Yui said to him.

Yui let go of the man and his body completely turned invisible. I sensed him walking away but I couldn't even hear or see his footsteps. Yui then turned around to face us, smiling.

"Don't worry about him. Mama. Papa." Yui reassured, "Nor do you need to worry about me. I remember everything that happened now."

 **(Mortifer)**

That girl… No Yui… Does she know who Cloud is? She said Cloud's name, along with "MHCP Prototype 3". I don't understand what she meant by that but she must be referring to how Cloud was actually a Top-Down AI.

Right now, I am a great distance away from Kirito, Asuna and Yui, who are currently inside the room that is part of the Safe-Zone Area. They are talking right now and Yui has apparently regained her memories. Luckily, I can hear them clearly even from here. My senses must have sharpened due to that boss fight.

"So… You remember everything now Yui?" Asuna asked her.

"Yes." Yui confirmed, "Kirito-san. Asuna-san."

At the sound of their names, the couple gasped. This would've been the first time Yui has said their actual names instead of Mama and Papa.

"The world you know as Sword Art Online is run by a single, immense system. The system is called the Cardinal. It is a self-run program that does not require human interference. The Cardinal consists of two programs. One to fix the bugs and errors of the world. The other to maintain and regulate the world. The AI for monsters and NPCs. Drop rate of items, experience and money. They are all regulated by the Cardinal. But being a Virtual World, the mental state of the humans can change, which is not something the Cardinal could fix. Thus, Argus, the company that runs the SAO servers, had to prepare for this. They created programs to help players cope with their problems."

Yui closed her eyes, and began speaking in a voice that sounded much like a robot.

"Mental Health Counseling Program. Prototype 1. Codename: Yui." She looked up and smiled at Kirito and Asuna. "That is what I am."

We all gasped. A program? For Mental Health Counseling? And that name too. MHCP. Is that what Cloud is? No wonder he acted like a real human. He was actually Artificial Intelligence.

"A-A program?" Asuna said in disbelief. "Like an AI?"

"Yes. That is what I am. I was given an emotion imitation function to not discomfort players." Tears began streaming down her eyes, "None of me is real. My emotions aren't real. These tears aren't real…"

"Then how did you lose your memories? Can something like that even happen to an AI." Asuna just couldn't believe any of what Yui is saying.

"Two years ago, on the official launch day of SAO," Yui began explaining, "The Cardinal prohibited me from interfering or interacting with players. I didn't understand why but I obeyed them. All I did then was monitor the mental status of every player. When Kayaba Akihiko announced that the players were now trapped in the game, many people were overcome with negative emotions. Fear. Despair. Rage. Some fell into madness. Others commited suicide. The man that saved you just now has probably suffered the worst of anybody who is still alive now."

Hearing those words reminded me of the Night of the Forest. The night that the Voices started in my head.

"Who is that man? Do you know Yui?" Kirito asked her. She simply shook her head, relieving me a little.

I am positive she knows, but she's probably protecting Kirito from knowing it. Even I don't want my brother to know just yet. That is if he hasn't figured our already.

"That man's mental condition has changed so much, not even the Cardinal could determine the new _thing_ he has become."

Hearing the word _thing_ pierced my heart like a sword. Of course it was true. It was completely true. I am not the same person I once was. I can't say if I'm better or worse either.

"That is why you couldn't see his name nor level when he fought."

"Why does that sound so familiar?" Asuna questioned. I widened my eyes in fear.

Other than my guild, only she and Heathcliff knows that I am undetectable by anybody. The system just can't read me. Not even Violet, who I'm married to.

"Don't worry about him," Yui suggested, "You will find out soon enough."

Asuna looked at Kirito who shrugged.

"Going back to my job as an AI," Yui continued, "the reason why I lost my memory is simple because of how many errors that piled up inside of me. Because I couldn't come in contact with any player, I completely broke down from these errors. But one day… One day while I was monitoring the players like usual. I found an outlier. Two people whose brain parameters were something I have never seen before. I saw joy. Peace. Trust. Bonding… I wished to become closer to these people. And so I did, but at that point, I had already broken down completely."

"The forest of the the twenty-second floor…" Kirito mumbled, "So that's why you were there?" Yui gently nodded. More tears streamed down her eyes.

"Kirito-san. Asuna-san. I've always wanted… To meet the two of you. I was so happy when I did. It's strange, because it's not even possible for something like me to feel things like that. I'm… Just a program…"

Asuna looked like she was completely struck with negative feelings, such as sorrow and disbelief. She put her hands to her chest and spoke.

"Yui-chan… So you're just like a human now, aren't you?"

"I don't know… What exactly happened to me…"

At that moment, Kirito walked up to Yui and crouched down to be her height.

"Yui… You're no longer a program operated by the system," Kirito spoke in a soft voice, "which means you can voice out your own feelings and wishes. So tell us…"

Kirito kneeled down and grabbed onto Yui's hand.

"What do you wish for Yui?"

There was a long pause. Yui removed her hand from Kirito's grasp and she started sobbing. She slowly raised her arms out towards Kirito and Asuna. She looked like she was crying, like an actual person.

"I want… I want to forever be with you." Her voice turned into a cry midway, "Mama! Papa!"

Right after, Asuna rushed over to Yui and embraced so tightly, like she was afraid to let go of her.

"Of course! We will always be together, Yui-chan. Just like a family."

Kirito also walked up to Yui and crouched down beside Asuna, hugging the AI.

"You are our child Yui. We will all live together… Forever..."

Joy and happiness filled me on the inside. Seeing the three and hearing Kirito say those words. Family… They definitely seemed like a true family.

As I watched from afar, I saw Yui's eyes meet mine. It was weird since it felt like she could see me, even from here. But if she was able to see me while invisible, then of course she can see me now.

"Mortifer-san." A voice echoed in my head. It wasn't one of the Voices that I hear all the time. It was Yui's. "I know your relationship with Kirito-san. Although it is not a good one, I want you to promise me something. Please take care of him and Asuna-san when I'm gone."

At the last word she spoke to me, I became completely perplexed.

"When you're gone? What do you mean, when you're gone?"

I gained no response from Yui and saw her gaze return back to the crying Asuna right next to her. The moment of bliss they were having perished completely when Yui said the next few words.

"It's too late…"

Both Kirito and Asuna broke from the hug and backed away a step. Bewildered, Kirito asked the girl.

"W-Why is that? What's too late?"

Yui then rubbed her hands against the stone table she had been sitting on the whole time. The stone held a weird pattern, like a motherboard of a computer.

"This stone is actually a console used for Game Masters in emergencies. When I touched it, I regained all of my memories."

To provide evidence that she wasn't lying, she drew a circle on the stone and lines of light emitted from the patterns embedded onto the rock.

"The Fatal Scythe isn't a typical boss monster. It is actually a guard, stationed here to keep players away. Noticing that it was about to kill you guys, I used the console to summon the GM item called the Object Eraser. I deleted the monster entirely from the game, including its files."

Not only is that boss monster a guard for this room they are in, I had to face a slightly weaker version of it in the Cave. Although that experience was much more terrifying than the one that just happened, even if this one was much stronger.

"Because I deleted the monster, the system is now scanning over my program and noticed I disobeyed its orders. It now thinks I am a foreign entity." Yui dropped her head down in sadness, "It won't be long before I'm erased from the game…"

"No…" Asuna spoke doubtfully.

"No. There has to be some way around it!" Kirito urged. But Yui's face showed nothing except the inevitable end. Is this what she meant by disappeared?

"Papa. Mama. Thank you." Yui's small black eyes twinkled from the small tears that were forming in them. "This is good bye."

Yui's expressioned showed nothing but the truth. She was most definitely not lying, yet Asuna still refused to believe it.

"No!" she yelled out, throwing her arms around her in-game daughter, "I can't accept that! We've just started! We've just started living together!"

At that moment, Yui's body started glowing and her body became translucent. I can see the wall of the room behind her now ghostly body.

"Yui! Don't go!" my brother yelled out. He placed his hands on Yui's, afraid of letting go.

"Mama… Papa…" Yui began talking, "Everyone smiles when they are around you. So please… From now on, go and help people in my place. Share your happiness with everyone, and make them smile."

"No! No, no, no!" Asuna repeatedly shouted. The truth was too much for her to bear. If Violet and I were in this position, Violet might have acted the same way, "I can't smile without you Yui!"

From this distance, I could see Yui's make a bright smile in her face. An expression that's trying to say that everything is going to be fine, even though it doesn't seem like it.

"Mama… Smile."

I watched as one last tear streamed down her eyes. I watched the tear as it slowly fell to the ground and splat. But when I looked back at Yui, her body had already faded except her hands, which were touching both Kirito and Asuna. Golden light particles spread out from where Yui was at and floated off until they became invisible. And at that moment, my heart and mentality broke down when I saw Asuna break down herself.

She fell to her knees and started crying up a puddle. The scene that transpired before me reminded me of the time Violet, Rizer and Paradox had found the collapsed Cave. When they told me how much everyone cried that day, I broke down crying myself.

I looked at my brother, whose face showed two different emotions. Sorrow and Rage. He slammed the stone console with his hands and shouted:

"Cardinal! No… Kayaba!"

A virtual keyboard formed on the stone slab and Kirito started typing on it. A screen of light appeared above the admin console with a bunch of files I didn't understand.

"Don't think things will always go the way you want them to go!"

As he continued typing on the keyboard, Asuna's crying ceased for the moment as she looked up at her husband.

"Kirito-kun, what are you doing?"

"If I act now… If I'm fast enough… I can use Yui's admin credentials to access the system!"

More random computer stuff appeared on the screen of light. Being a person who isn't tech savy, I didn't understand what Kirito was doing. But knowing how good my brother is with computers, whatever he is trying to do, I believe he will accomplish it.

A few seconds later, the admin console let out a burst of light, blasting Kirito away from it.

"Kirito-kun!" Asuna called out. She ran over to Kirito who seemed to be holding something in his hand, "Are you alright?"

Kirito reached out the hand that held onto something towards Asuna. She cupped her hands and Kirito dropped a shiny object into her hands. Form this distance I couldn't tell what it is since it is so small.

'What is this?" Asuna questioned.

"Before Yui's admin credentials were taken away, I split off her main program and turned it into an in-game object. I also saved it in my NerveGear's local storage."

"Wait so you're saying…" Asuna's eyes widened and so did mine. If Kirito saved Yui's program into an object, then that item…

"That's Yui's Heart."

 **Later that evening, the dungeon below Black Iron Palace**

I stared at the blank stone slab inside the bright white room of the Safe-Zone Area. Kirito and Asuna had left to return to the surface hours ago, but I remained here, in this dungeon.

I had The Sword of Light in my hands and held it gingerly. If I recall correctly, Cloud's body had transformed into a ball of light, which also turned into this blade. The same thing happened with Sephiroth with The Sword of Darkness but he is irrelevant right now.

Yui had told me that Cloud was a Mental Health Counseling Program, which means he was there to monitor player's mental health conditions. Was it all a coincidence that I had met him? Or was it fate? Even if I actually wasn't supposed to meet him, I'm glad I did.

But now, being in this room gave me a strange sensation. As if someone was watching me. I touched the black admin console and it started glowing a faint blue. A small light emitted from the center of the console and formed an image.

In front of me looked the the screen on a phone, where you text your friends. Two names appeared on the screen above the messages that were sent. Yui and Strea. Next to them the words MHCP 001 and MHCP 002 appeared. I couldn't believe my eyes when I read the messages. The first one was sent at May 4th, 2023.

 _May 4, 2023_

 _Yui:_

 _It's rare for you to contact me Strea-san. Is something wrong?_

 _Strea:_

 _A huge spike of emotions occurred at the 24th. It's pretty bad._

 _Yui:_

 _I never thought this would happen…_

 _Strea:_

 _Yui… This man… It's beyond us._

 _Yui:_

 _I know. I never thought something this bad would happen. I never thought I'd need to give this ability to someone._

 _Strea:_

 _The Unique Skill is irrelevant. But this man… We need HIS help._

 _Yui:_

 _I guess so. This is his field of work._

 _Strea:_

 _Should I call him now?_

 _Yui:_

 _No matter what the Cardinal tells us, I can't simply let this man go. Go ahead. Contact Cloud._

The messages ended there and I was in disbelief. I understood everything Yui and this other person, Strea, was talking about. They indeed sent Cloud to help me. Though from the looks of it, not even Cloud could help me. Again I don't regret, but knowing that not even something that specializes in my mental state can't do anything to help…

I can't dwell on this thought since this was to be expected by now. But I now at least know the background of what happened to me that night. The "ability" they may be talking about must be the Darkness Blade. No wonder why I kept having nightmares and seeing things when Yui was around.

I let out a long sigh and sheathed my weapons. The GM console deactivated and returned to being an ordinary stone slab. I walked out of the room with one thought in my mind: the request Yui had made to me.

"Don't worry Yui… I swear on my life to protect your Mama and Papa."

/

/

/

Clarification on the MHCPs: Yui is the one who gave Cloud orders to assist Mortifer and she is also the one who gave Mortifer the Darkness Blade ability. I will expand upon this on the Fairy Dance portion of my Fanfiction (if I happen to post it). Yes, i've written a plot for even the 2nd half of SAO I in this Fanfic. In fact, its basically two books with the first being Aincrad Arc - Fairy Dance Arc, and the 2nd book being Summer Special Arc - Phantom Bullet Arc - Mother's Rosario Arc - Origins Arc (origin stories of each and every member of RoS).

Longest chapter with 14.9k words! WOO!


	34. Chapter 33: King of the Lake

**Two days later, 22** **nd** **floor, Log House**

Kirito and Asuna left the Starting City yesterday. When Yulier, Thinker, and Sasha found out about Yui, they all offered their condolences. Yulier felt especially guilty since she was the reason why Yui had to sacrifice herself to save them, but Kirito and Asuna reassured her that it wasn't.

Afterwards, Kirito and Asuna went straight back to their home in the 22nd floor. With Yui gone, the place seemed less active. Currently, Asuna is inside the house. Sometimes I hear her start crying but she picks herself back up and continues on whatever she was doing. Kirito on the other hand, is down by the lake, fishing. Although he is fairly far away, I should be able to get to the lake with ease.

Either way, I've become completely restless. Going from an eventful few days to a single dull one has taken a toll on me. And for some reason, what happened to Yui already felt like it happened months ago, which seems like a terrible thing to say.

While I continued dying from boredom, I saw a farmer-looking man walking near the lake Kirito is fishing at. Using Eagle-Vision, I can tell that he is really old. Old enough to be considered at the retiring age. He wore a fishing hat and held a fishing rod in his hands.

The man continued approaching Kirito to the point where he is now walking on the pier Kirito is fishing from. Curious and a little suspicious, I made move and started making my way to Kirito. The man doesn't look dangerous, but I also can't leave Kirito alone.

I quickly ran towards Kirito and the old man and found a large bush nearby. The man surprised my brother, making him drop his fishing rod which almost fell into the water. The man started laughing and he took a seat next to Kirito.

"Sorry for scaring you like that." The man apologized. He threw out his fishing line into the water and held on tightly to his rod, "My name is Nishida. In this game, I am a fisherman. In Japan though, I was head of the network security division for Toto High-Speed Internet."

"I'm Kirito." My brother greeted himself, "Didn't Toto High-Speed internet…" Before Kirito could talk any further, Nishida interrupted him, as if he knew what he was going to say.

"Yes. I oversaw the network security for this game. ARGUS, the company running the server, gave us the job."

So a guy who was hired to take care of the game from the outside gets trapped in the game himself… What exactly happened to make things turn out this way?

Moments later, Nishida's rod started bending, indicating that he hooked something. Kirito stood up, surprised. Probably because Nishida managed to hook something so quickly while he himself takes forever just to hook one fish.

"It's big!" Kirito exclaimed.

"Piece of cake!" Nishida scoffed.

He pulled against his rod and out came a fish from the lake. It definitely did not look like a fish you would see in a market, nor the type you would eat. And it was in fact very big. As big as my torso.

Nishida reeled in the flopping fish and grabbed it by its mouth. He held it up and tapped it once with his fingers, transferring it into his inventory.

"That was awesome." Kirito spoke in awe.

"Yeah… But I can only catch these things." Nishida admitted, "If I could cook them then it would be much better. I would love to make some stew from them, or even sashimi, but I don't have soy sauce."

Hearing him speak about food made me a little hungry even though I just ate, but when I looked at Kirito's face I knew exactly what he was wondering.

The man said he can't cook and he also wished he has soy sauce. There is only one person that both Kirito and I know that can cook and has soy sauce: Asuna.

Nishida kept talking about ways to cook his food until Kirito finally spoke up.

"I may be able to help you with that." Nishida stopped talking and quickly turned to Kirito with an expression of zealousness.

"What?!"

 **(Kirito)**

 **A few hours later, at the Log Cabin**

I wiped my face with a napkin and resisted the urge to belch. The meal Asuna prepared for us was undeniably delicious. Nishida also seems to be very happy.

After hearing about his want for soy sauce and a good meal, I decided to invite him over to our place. Asuna was reluctant at first but decided to make us dinner using the fish Nishida had caught.

"That was wonderful!" Nishida exclaimed while sipping his tea, "I had no idea you can get soy sauce in this world!"

"It's homemade," Asuna informed him, "Take some with you if you really like it."

"Really? Thank you, I appreciate it!"

"But anyway, your fishing skill must be pretty high." At those words, I already knew where Asuna is heading, "Kirito has never managed to catch anything to bring home for a meal."

The two of them laughed while I continued sipping on my own tea. Even now, she still loves to insult me in some way, whether if it's physically or mentally.

"The lakes around here are too hard…" I countered her statement.

"No that isn't exactly true." Nishida mentioned, "The only difficult one is the big lake you were fishing at.

"What?!" I exclaimed, spilling some tea on the table. Asuna's face turned red as she began to giggle at the fact that I had been fishing in a high-level lake. "Why design the lake like that?"

"Yes! Excellent question!" Nishida responded though it was not the one I was looking for.

"Excuse me?"

"In that lake, there is a guardian" Nishida's tone changed into a serious one.

"A guardian?" asuna and I said in unison though Asuna spoke in a more curious tone. I on the other hand am still ticked off that I was fishing in that lake in the first place.

"Yes, a guardian… I've hooked it several times though I could never reel it in for my STR attribute is too low. It would either snap my pole or just drag it away altogether."

Asuna listened intently to Nishida's story while I continued to drink the homemade tea Asuna made. At first I thought that bringing this guy here would lighten up my mood, though he only made Asuna's mood better.

"And so, I'd like to something of you."

"What is it?" Asuna questioned him.

"Are you confident in your strength?" Nishida asked the two of us, but Asuna answered for the both.

"I'm confident though I Kirito-kun is much stronger than I am."

"Ok so here is my proposal. We will fish for it together. I'll hold it until it bites, then I'll leave the reeling to you, how does that sound?"

"Wait, wait, wait…" I said repeatedly, completely confused, "You want to Switch while fishing? Is that even possible?"

"I have no clue, but let's try it!" the old man sounded enthusiastic and optimistic.

I looked at Asuna for reassurance but she just gave me her usual warm smiles. I couldn't help but smile as well since I am also interested in this fish god.

"I guess we can have a go at it." I told Nishida, smiling.

"That's the spirit!" Nishida laughed heartily.

 **Later that night**

"It's so cold in here!"

Asuna removed the blankets that covered her and stood up from her bed. She slowly crawled into my bedsheets and lied down next to me. She blinked sleepily and gave out a smile of satisfaction.

"There are so many people here in this world, right Kirito-kun?"

"He was interesting wasn't he?" I responded.

"You surprised me completely bringing him here with no warning." Asuna's smile then faded and she muttered out: "Up until now I've only fought in the front lines. I've forgotten about those who lived completely normal lives here. It's like it's our duty to fight for them since we are strong enough."

"I only thought of getting stronger for my own survival."

Asuna sat up and got on top of me. She smiled affectionately as her blue necklace dangled from her neck. The blue necklace that indicates the only family the two of us ever had: Yui.

"A lot of people will be counting on you Kirito. That includes me." Asuna informed me.

She let herself fall on top of me and closed her eyes. Even though it would be uncomfortable for me when I sleep, I let her stay there. I finally fell asleep while I brushed Asuna's hazel-colored hair with my hands.

 **(Violet)**

 **That same night**

I stared at the ceiling blankly. It's been more than a week since I've seen Mortifer. Although it wasn't as long as when he went power-leveling, I feel lonelier. Not only that, I'm getting this uneasy feeling that something bad is coming.

I hugged my pillow tightly, scared of this feeling. If I had Mortifer by my side then maybe this feeling would go away, but I know that he is too busy watching over his little brother.

I got out of bed, still holding my pillow, and headed out to the balcony. A gush of wind blew past my face making my nightgown flutter. The familiar sound of ocean waves and insects sounded throughout the night. I looked up and stared at the bright moon shining down on the island.

I continued admiring the moon as well as the stars until I heard light chatter nearby. I looked down towards the flower garden. I smiled as I saw both Zed and Paradox sitting down on the bench, chatting.

With Mortifer gone and us being kicked out of the Front Lines, the two of them have tried to get much closer to each other. Sometimes I would hear them sneak out in the night and take a midnight stroll, just like what they are doing now.

"We've made some good friends, haven't we Mortifer?" I whispered to myself, hoping that Mortifer can hear.

 **(Mortifer)**

 **Three days later**

I expected to wake up to a quiet day today, but that completely not the case. All around me I heard chatter and people laughing. When I sat up and looked towards the origin of the noises, I saw a whole group of people walking towards the lake area. Some had fishing rods while others carried food with them.

"Come on we're going to miss the fishing event!" I heard one of the players shout out to his friends.

My mind went into panic mode as I opened my menu and checked on the time. It was three in the afternoon and I had just woken up from my sleep. I repeatedly slapped myself awake and started climbing down the Log House, heading over to the lake.

How could I have overslept that much? I had slept early last night so I wouldn't miss anything, yet I still managed to almost miss the fishing event.

I trailed behind the group of players in front of me, keeping a good distance so none of them will notice. As the lake where Nishida and Kirito are going to fish at came to view, I could not believe what I saw.

Almost a hundred players were gathered around the lake, all having a picnic, waiting for the event to start. I spotted Kirito, Asuna, and Nishida in the midst of it all. Kirito didn't seem too happy from all the players and Asuna has covered herself completely to hide from unwanted attention.

"The event is about to start, come on!" someone from the group in front of me exclaimed. The party of friends broke off into a sprint and left me in the dust.

As I walked my way to the lake, I saw Nishida start heading towards the pier that he is going to fish from. He held his fishing stick in one hand and opened his menu with the other. He then took out what I am assuming is going to be the bait for the fish god: a live red salamander.

Everyone gasped at the size of the lizard and at the same time, they are probably wondering how big this "guardian of the lake" really is. Usually you use tiny insects or worms for bait and even that can get you some decent sized fish. Nishida is using a live reptile.

Standing at the edge of the pier, everyone quieted down as Nishida let out a shout and threw his line far into the water. Everyone gasped at how far he had thrown his line as it was very close to the center of the lake.

With SAO not being entirely realistic, Nishida managed to hook something in no more than a minute. Kirito seemed to notice this and approached the old fisherman. They started conversing though at this distance, I can't hear a word with all the other ambient sounds.

Nishida's rod twitched as something in the water tugged the line. It continued to twitch and everyone seemed to be waiting for Nishida to make his move. That's when the rod jerked hard and started bending to the point where it may snap.

"Now!" Nishida shouted. He started pulling using his whole body and gave the rod to Kirito, "I'll entrust the rest to you!"

"Wait… What!?" Kirito exclaimed as he started getting dragged towards the water.

Nishida dashed away from the pier, leaving Kirito by himself. He almost got dragged into the water but he planted his feet at the edge of the dock. He let out a sharp cry and started running away from the lake, with the still-hidden fish in tow.

Moments later, a giant silhouette of a fish formed in the water. Everyone gasped at the sight and they all ran towards it. Kirito on the other hand, continued to run away from the lake, pulling the fish out of the water.

Just then, I heard the screams of many players including Asuna. The whole pack of people who went to go check on the fish all ran away from the lake and even ran past Kirito.

Before I could even see the fish, the line snapped and something came out of the water. It disappeared so quickly that I couldn't even follow it. Where did it go?

At the same time, Kirito started screaming since he had lost the fish and ran towards the lake to observe the water

"Kirito-kun! It's dangerous!" Asuna's voice cried out to her husband.

"What's dangerous-"

Suddenly, a huge brown figure fell from the sky and smashed the pier into pieces. Kirito luckily didn't get smashed but is now facing a colossal fish-reptile with four legs for walking.

Kirito ran away with haste whilst screaming in terror. He ran towards the people who had ran away and hid behind Asuna, cowering in fear.

"T-That's not fair! You left me behind!" Kirito complained to his wife.

"Kirito-san! This isn't the time for that! It's heading towards us!" Nishida shouted at him.

The King of the Lake started running towards everyone, baring its myriad of sharp canines. Everyone cowered in fear, wanting to run away but couldn't.

And that's when Asuna stepped up to take the spotlight. She removed the clothes that had disguised her, revealing herself for everyone to see. Her chestnut hair flew in the wind and she drew out her rapier Lambent Light.

With the fish guardian getting closer, Asuna made her move. She broke off into a fast sprint and her rapier started glowing. Right away, I knew what Sword Skill she was using. It was one that I've only seen Violet use once just so she can see how powerful it is. Flashing Penetrator.

Asuna kept building up speed until she created a sonic boom. She instantly penetrated through the fish completely, starting from its mouth and out from its tail. The fish shuddered and fragmented into pieces. All of this happened in a flash.

"Good job Asuna." Kirito called out as he approached her.

"It's not fair. You making me do all the work. You're buying me lunch." Asuna demanded with her arms crossed.

"Our money is shared data now. If I buy us lunch, you will also lose your money."

"Oh… That's right…" Asuna slumped her shoulders at the realization of this. I chuckled slightly at the sight.

They looked back at all the spectators who were all awestruck. Suddenly, one of the many players here pointed at Asuna and shouted out:

"Are-Are you Asuna?! Of the Knights of the Blood Oath?" The player rushed over to Asuna and closed admired her face, invading her personal space, "You are! I'm a huge fan! I have a picture too!"

Now finding out that the Flash is right in front of them, the spectators stormed over to Asuna and crowded around her. Kirito acted as a barricade to protect them.

While I laughed on the inside of the event that unfolded before me, I narrowly spotted a change in expression on Kirito's face. A look of surprise mixed with cocern appeared on that face of his. And for some reason, I feel like something bad is coming.

/

/

/

The End is near, and so is _The End._ I wonder if any of you remember what _The End_ is. Don't cheat now :)

Also, I told you guys I was going to finish this before the New Year arrives.


	35. Chapter 34: Reporting for Duty

**The next day**

Kirito and Asuna had left their house, unhappily walking towards the Teleport Gate at Coral Village. They were in their battle gear so they must be heading to a place where they can't simply wear just regular clothes. Even yesterday proved that with the fish Kirito and Nishida had caught, but Asuna managed to finish it off quickly due to her high-level.

Anyways, the Coral Village was just up ahead of us. A small town with almost no players living in it, giving me much more room to hide from them. Even though it is fun and it gives the best view, jumping from tree to tree gets extremely exhausting, especially if you need to climb back up if you fall down, or slide down when you jump to the next tree. Even someone with strength or stamina like me needs their rest. Nonetheless, as we got closer to the village, I noticed someone standing at the roadside, waving towards Kirito and Asuna. As we got closer, I could makeout that the person was Nishida, who was waiting for them at the gate.

The three of them began talking and so I decided to head closer to the Teleport Gate and wait at a nearby location. After they finished their talk, Kirito and Asuna stepped onto the platform and said farewell to their fishing friend. The two of them then said in unison:

"Teleport, Grandzam!"

The two of them then disappeared to the 55th Floor. If they are heading to Grandzam, then Heathcliff must've called for them to report in. No wonder why their expressions showed sadness, especially Kirito's. I was also like that for a bit when Zed's group had interrupted my honeymoon with Violet on the 47th Floor. Either way, something must've happened in The Front Lines that made Heathcliff call for both of them to return. I should probably go check it out as well. Though I need to be extra careful when around the KoB HQ. I walked out of the shadows and approached the platform. Nishida still stood there, blocking the way.

"Excuse me sir…" I said as I walked past him. I then stepped on the platform and repeated my brother's words, "Teleport, Grandzam."

Nishida's eyes seemingly grew alert right before I disappeared into the Steel City.

 **55th Floor** **Grandzam**

The moment I materialized, I took to the shadows. Fortunately, there were only a few players roaming about in the morning, so I had no trouble moving around quickly and quietly. I climbed up the nearest house and began making my way to the KoB HQ, assuming that is where they are going. Sure enough, I spotted the couple heading to that direction as I made my way there. The only problem I had left is that their HQ doesn't connect to any building and that it is at the center of a large plaza. People are bound to see me running across the street so I may as well use my super speed and deal with the fatigue afterwards.

I first waited for Kirito and Asuna to enter the giant steel building before doing anything else, since they could probably see me running across the streets with their perception skills being extremely high. Once they entered, I made my move and dashed across the plaza, zooming towards the side of the HQ with lots of footholds. Thankfully, this building is one of the few buildings that have enougg places for me to grab hold on. The rest of the buildings are made of smooth steel which is impossible to climb up on. When I eventually made it to the roof of the giant place, I made my way to the council room where I am assuming Heathcliff is currently at, waiting for his two members to report in.

I found the room and started climbing down to be level with one of the windows. I couldn't see anything due to the glass being painted, but I could easily hear Heathcliff as he tapped a pen of some sort repeatedly on the tabletop. If I can hear that, then I should be able to hear their conversation just fine even if they try to talk quietly. I just hope Heathcliff doesn't notice that I'm here.

"You called for us leader?" Asuna's voice sounded from inside the building.

"Ah, Asuna, Kirito, you've arrived." Heathcliff responded. Good, it seems they are here to talk to him, "Let's get straight to our current situation right now. Yesterday, we had an incident in the 75th Floor's Labyrinth. Half of the soucting team The Front Lines sent to check on the boss room was killed in action."

"What?!" Kirito exclaimed, "The recon team was wiped out?!"

"Yes… In preparation of the upcoming boss fight, we sent a team of twenty players from five guilds to investigate the boss room. Half of the team went inside the boss room while the other half remained outside. However, the dungeon's door closed behind them, leaving ten players trapped inside with whatever was in there. After five minutes, the doors finally opened again, and there were no signs of the other ten players or the boss. From the looks of the gate to the 76th Floor, it seems that the boss had annihilated the recon team and remains alive. Later on, we discovered that the room was an Anti-Crystal Zone. The recon team checked the Monument of Life and saw the names of the players who were with them crossed out. None of them survived except for the half who remained outside."

Kirito, Asuna and I were in disbelief. Ten players killed by a boss, and it was just a scouting party, not an actual raid. The recon team usually has it easy as all they need to do is walk into the room and bait out the boss into using all of its attacks so they can get the raid team information on how to survive. However, now they have to fight the boss without knowing anything about it. It reminded me of the 25th Floor boss battle with _Nahkriin_. Even worse, the 75th Floor is one of the quarter-floors, making them considerably harder to beat that the ones adjacent to it.

"We will have to attack with the largest raiding party we can put together. The strongest members of the Front Lines will assemble at Collinia. We will then travel to the boss room and defeat the boss." Heathcliff stated.

"I will participate." Kirito began, "But Asuna's safety is my number one priority. Should the situation turn for the worse, I will dismiss the raiding party from my worries and only care for her."

"That is fine. After all, people get stronger when they have something to protect, as their resolve grows much stronger. If we fail this attack, then our chances of completing the game drop to zero. We assemble in three hours." Heathcliff declared as he stood up from his seat and left the room to prepare for the fight. Kirito and Asuna then followed him out.

I remained, sitting next to the window, wondering. This boss battle will quite possibly the hardest the Front Lines have ever faced. If my guild were still in the Front Lines, I would not dare let them try to face the boss alone. I don't even know if I could defeat the boss myself, depending on what kind of boss it is. If it were something like _The Gleam Eyes_ , then possibly. Regardless, I had a really bad feeling about this upcoming fight. My brain told me that if there was a perfect time to confront Heathcliff, it would be after the fight occurs where he is most vulnerable.

I scaled down the building and jumped down once I thought I could land without making any sounds. I headed back to the Teleport Gate and quickly got onto the platform, yelling out:

"Teleport, Panareze!"

 **24** **th** **Floor** **Panareze**

 **An hour later**

It has been a while since I've been back here in this floor. I've just been running straight towards the Island for the past hour now, trying to maintain a steady pace without getting myself too fatigued. At my current location, I can see the Island. I even passed by Paradox and Zed, who were having their afternoon stroll across the islands of the floor. When I passed, I turned back around to talk to them.

"Sorry to interrupt." I panted out, "I need you guys to come back to the Island. Something important just came up dealing with The Front Lines, and I need everyone to be there to listen in on it."

The two of them didn't even get a word in before I dashed off again towards the Island. I occasionally ran into trees, hurting myself a bit, but I finally managed to reach the bridge that connects to the Island. I could see the gate and outpost we had built. It was Konno's shift this time and he began ringing the outpost's bell when he saw me running towards them. He opened the gate and I slowed down my pace as I passed through and stepped onto the Island.

"Mortifer! It's been a long time since I've seen you home! How's it been?" He asked while hitting me on the back repeatedly.

I motioned Konno to move away since he was only making it harder for me to breath with his patting. I walked over to the bench by the flower garden and took a seat, still trying to recover my breath. I saw Violet come out of the house and she ran over to sit next to me. Soon everyone began spilling out of the log cabin and began gathering around me. After a few more minutes, Zed and Paradox finally arrived.

"There's something big happening in about two hours time… At the 75th Floor." I announced, "Just now I was following Kirito and he reported to Heathcliff. I got information that yesterday, a team of twenty players in the scouting team investigated the boss room. Half of them were wiped out."

"Wait hold on, half of the scout team was wiped out?!" Zed exclaimed.

"Yes… Ten of them went inside and the door apparently closed behind them. When the door unlocked, the other half who had remained outside could no longer see the rest of the players, nor the boss."

"But Mortifer… What does this have to do with us now?" Violet asked me, "We're no longer part of the Clearing Group, and we obviously can't help them since we're wanted fugitives. Why are you telling us this?"

"Because I had this really bad feeling… I wasn't planning on helping them with their fight, but what happens after that is what I'm wondering about. I've been trying to think up of ways to expose _Him_ , and with this current situation of theirs, this may be the best chance I have.

"Wait sorry, who is… _Him_?" ViVi asked.

"You don't need to worry about it." Violet told her cousin, "But what makes you think this is the best time?"

"If the boss really is as tough as it seems, then even he is goinged to be tired and exhausted after the fight despite still having greater than half of his health remaining. If I take that chance where he is most vulnerable, maybe I can expose him. Now I'm not saying you guys should come along with me, but I'd be happy if you did since I would feel much safer."

There was a moment of silence. Nobody wanted to be captured again, especially Zed who did not look like he wanted to tag along. I already knew Violet will go with me since she doesn't want to lose me again, should that ever occur. Everyone else however was still deciding.

"Look, I don't really understand what this plot of yours is, but sure, I'll tag along." Konno stated, "Zed are you going too?"

"Eh, I got nothing to do here in the Island. I don't mind taking a quick trip to the Front Lines, even if it may cost us our lives again. Because at least then I'll get to see you die Mortifer…" Zed muttered.

"Zed!" Paradox cried out to her boyfriend.

"It's fine Paradox." I quickly told her, "I'm grateful that you are coming along too."

"Well we might as well all come along if even Zed is." Cayonz stated. Everyone else who hadn't spoken agreed with his statement.

"Everyone, your equipment should be in your designated chest at the storage room next to the forge." Rizer explained, "It takes us almost two hours if we walk to Panareze with all of this equipment, so let's leave as soon as possible. Come on, let's move it!"

Everyone began heading towards the storage room to get their equipment. Rizer headed to the forge while Paradox headed downstairs, probably to get a couple of potions. Only Violet remained next to me. She looked into my eyes despite the fact that I'm not even trying to look at her. She continued doing this until I looked back at her.

"Do you really think it's time?" she asked me. I gave her a nod and sat up straight.

"Ever since Kirito's fight with Heathcliff, I'm almost certain that he is indeed the man who I think he is. Since we are related, I'm assuming my brother may also be suspicious of who Heathcliff is, especially since he was the one battling him. My brother isn't that dumb to not notice that Heathcliff moved too fast at that last part."

"Well, what will you do when you're right? What will you do if he really is Kayaba Akihiko?" Violet questioned me.

I stopped to think about my answer. Will Violet accept an answer like the one I had in mind? I looked at her and she held a worried expression on her face. No… I need to tell her the truth.

"If I am right, then I'm going to try my hardest to kill him, even if I die in the process. I have a feeling that once he is defeated, this game will end once and for all. After all, he is the creator."

"And what happens if you don't kill him? What happens if he kills you first?!" she cired out.

I could see the fear in her eyes. She also has the same fear as me when it comes to losing friends. Should Violet ever lose me, she will have to go through unbearable pain and sorrow, and that is the same for me should I lose her. In fact, if we lose any of our friends that we have with us now, I'm sure I will feel a lot of pain, even if it was Zed.

"I know you don't want to hear this but I know lying to you will only hurt you more… I will win against him. If I die, then so be it. Someone else is going to have to finish what I started, and it is probably going to be Kirito, who has the Dual Blades just like me. If I don't kill him, nothing will end and nothing will begin. I need to kill Heathcliff and end this game once and for all."

Tears were now forming in Violet's eyes. Although she was confident I could do it, the thought of me dying still lingers in her head. I put my arm around her and she started crying on me. I kissed her on the forehead.

"I promised that I will get you out of this game, no matter what the cost." I told her.

We sat there for a bit until Violet stopped crying. She then got up and went inside to prepare. Once she was gone, I opened my menu and went to my Skills menu. I stared at my Unique Skill: Darkness Blade. I focused on two words. _The End_. Ever since I discovered this Unique Skill, I've been wondering what _The End_ is supposed to mean. It was an ability but it didn't have a description or anything. All it gave me was a symbol of two twin swords, one black, the other white, crossing each other. This symbol had appeared only when I Completed my Dual Blades skill, and I now fully understand what it means. However, just like its name states, I will only use it as a last resort.

I closed my Skills menu and opened my inventory. I scrolled down and equipped my beloved Sword of Light and Sword of Darkness. Neither of the blades seemed to be doing its usual thing. The white sword didn't shine nor did the black sword ooze out darkness. They looked like ordinary swords but I know these swords have personalities in them. They too were waiting for me to confront Heathcliff. Because they were like this, I became even more confident that this really is the perfect time to confront Heathcliff, and that he is the one I need to kill.

"Cloud… Sephiroth… Both of you… Let's have one last journey together and I want you guys to lead the way. Together…"

 **Two hours later,** **Panareze**

"I messaged Argo about the raid." Violet said as she walked beside me, "She said she will check it out with us, though she won't be staying for long."

"That's fine." I told her, "She's only our information dealer, so she doesn't need to come with us if she doesn't want to."

I looked around to see if everyone was ready. Rizer carried _Dawnbreaker_ on his back. Cayonz had his bag filled with a bunch of medical supplies should we ever need it. Paradox had her bag of potions. Konno had his massive shield ready. Zed sharpened _Dark Repulser_ using a stone he found nearby. Trish and Aqua were both armed and ready, both of them carrying more bags of potions and medical supplies as well as a majority of the _Magic Crystals_ we had with us at the moment. We looked like we were prepared to take down a boss, but everyone was nervous.

"Everyone, you don't need to worry." I reassured them, "We won't be entering the boss room until after their battle ends. The only thing we have to worry about is monsters outside of the boss room attacking us as well as being caught by the players. If we get spotted and they come after us, everyone will pull out their _Teleport Crystals_ and run away as fast as possible. Got it?"

"Yeah." Everyone said in unison as we stopped at Panareze's Teleport Gate.

"We will go through the portal, one by one, thirty seconds after another. Once you get through, hide somewhere nearby so that you can still see the raid party. Be quick or else you will get spotted. I'll go first…"

I stepped onto the platform. Before I left, I looked to Violet and gave her a warm smile, telling her that everything will be alright.

"Teleport, Collinia!"

 **75** **th** **floor** **Collinia**

I wasted no time when I teleported. The raid party surrounded most of the plaza that the Teleport Gate was at. I stealthily snuck past the clearers and positioned myself on top of a nearby building. I could have used my _Cloak of Darkness_ but I felt like I would need it later. Then I waited as one by one, every thirty seconds, my friends appeared at the gate. Violet went after I did and went to hide with me. Then Rizer, Paradox, Cayonz, Zed, Konno, ViVi, Aqua, and finally Trish. So far nobody has spotted us or has raised suspicion of the continuous teleports into the city. Then I sensed someone or something watching me. It came from somewhere behind me.

"Argo, you will never be able to sneak up on me." I declared as I turned around. Although I sensed something, Argo was still about two rooftops away from us. She poked her head from behind a chimney and sighed. She jumped her way to us and crouched next to me.

"So, they are assembling for a big boss raid?" she asked me. Violet and I gave her a nod and continued watching the clearing group.

I spotted Kirito with Asuna, Klein, and Agil. They were too far to be heard, but I could tell they are talking about this raid. Then a group of people teleported into the plaza. It was Heathcliff and a few other KoB members. The plaza went silent as Heathcliff passed by. He then stopped in front of an archway and pulled out a crystal. But not just any crystal, a _Corridor Crystal_. The rarest crystal of them all. He held the crystal above his head and yelled:

"Corridor open!"

The crystal disappeared and a wormhole-like object appeared beneath the archway. I'm assuming that the portal leads to the boss room entrance. They're not going to waste any time or equipment going through the dungeon, and so that is why they used a _Corridor Crystal_ as it allows everyone to go to the boss room without consequence. Starting with Heathcliff, they began walking through the portal and ending up to wherever the destination was set to. Kirito and Asuna were the last ones to pass through, and before they did, Kirito scanned his surroundings and spotted me, Violet and Argo hiding on the rooftops. He simply frowned and walked through. I then held up my _Sword of Light_ to the sky and shot out a beam of light, signaling my friends that the coast was clear. The three of us climbed down the building and met up in front of the open wormhole.

"Argo, can you do us a favor?" I asked her.

"What is it?" she replied.

"Can you go through the portal and message Violet once the coast is clear? We are going to go through as well. Here's a _Teleport Crystal_ just in case."

I tossed her a _Teleport Crystal_ and she held it gingerly in her hands. Although she seemed hesitant about it, she agreed. We waited a a minute before letting Argo go. She walked through the wormhole thing and disappeared. A minute later, Violet received a message from Argo.

"They've entered the boss room, and the door has closed behind them." Violet read out loud.

"Alright, we can go through now." I said as I walked through.

 **75** **th** **floor Labyrinth**

I walked out of the Corridor and found myself in a dark cave. I looked around and spotted the boss room door, closed. Argo was sitting at a nearby rock, tossing her _Teleport Crystal_ up in the air. Soon, everyone passed through the corridor, and it disappeared soon afterwards.

"You are dismissed Argo." I told her. She smiled and tossed the crystal I gave her up in the air and caught it.

"Good luck in… In uh… Whatever you came here for." She stuttered, not knowing why we came here. "Teleport Algade!"

She then teleported out of the Labyrinth and disappeared to the 50th floor. We all then looked at the boss room door and observed it. To make sure that what I heard was right, I pulled on the door hard but it wouldn't budge. I backed up and turned to everyone.

"We will wait for the door to be unlocked, and then a few more minutes after that before we go inside." I commanded. And so, we all took a seat on the rocks nearby. Violet sat next to me but we didn't say a word to each other. Nobody talked at all as we waited for the boss fight that was happening inside to reach its end.

/

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/

The next chapter is the final chapter! I'm thinking of doing an Alternate Ending but right now, I just want to post the real story. It's been fun writing this. I've spent 300+ hours making the plot, writing the story, and doing other story related stuff such as coloring the drawings of the characters my friend draws for me. Anyways, I hope you like the ending. It's a bit sad and can make you teary-eyed if you're emotional, but I hope you enjoy it.


	36. Chapter 35: The End

**(Kirito)**

 **An hour later**

I was sitting on the ground, leaning against Asun'a back while she leaned against mine. I was tired and exhausted, and so was everyone else. Of all the boss raids that I've participated in, that was by far, the most difficult one. Although I wasn't as close to dying as I was with _The Gleam Eyes_ , _The Skull Reaper_ certainly isn't a pushover.

"How many did we lose?" Klein asked in disbelief. I checked the list of people in the raid group and counted.

"Fourteen people died." I muttered. Everyone gasped, shocked at how much we lost.

"You're kidding." Agil cried. He couldn't believe that we lost that much, nobody can.

"There are still twenty-five floors left." Klein stated. Twenty-five floors, and we would be losing this much people all the way.

"Can we even make it to the top?" Agil asked us. Nobody answered since nobody knew if we could. I looked around me.

Everyone was either sitting down or lying down. But then I saw Heathcliff. He was the only standing up amongst the entire raid party. Even after the fight he still stands and keeps a straight face. How can you do that when you just fought a difficult boss and saw fourteen people die, right in front of your eyes? Whoever is able to keep a straight face after all of this is no longer human. In fact, the way he looked off into the distance, it was as if he was looking down on us, like a god. And then I looked at his health bar, which was barely above the half-way mark.

Asuna and I could have handled the attacks of _The Skull Reaper_ , at least for a little while, but the man decided to not come out of the battle unharmed. Then I had a flashback of our battle. That last moment right before I lost, where he moved a little too fast. I've been wondering about it ever since it happened. If my hunch is wrong, then I'm going to live my life here as a criminal player. But if it isn't…

"Asuna I'm sorry about this." I whispered to her as I picked up my sword.

"Kirito?" she asked. I stood up and readied my sword. Then I charged at Heathcliff.

He quickly turned around and saw me coming right at him. Surprised, he didn't have enough time to raise his shield as I closed my eyes and stabbed him. At least that's what I think I did. I slowly opened my eyes and noticed that my blade was stopped by the air right next to Heathcliff's shield. It seemed to create a barrier which my sword could not pass. A purple hexagon appeared above Heathcliff, and two words were written on it. _Immortal Object_. I then flashbacked to the time when Yui had saved us from _The Fatal Scythe_. Those same exact words had appeared above her, as well as the same exact protective barrier.

"Kirito, what are you do-" Asuna began to say but her voice failed when she noticed the purple hexagon on Heathcliff. Everyone was now looking at us to see what was going on. " _Immortal Object_? C-Commander… What's the meaning of this?!"

"The system ensures that his HP will never drop into the yellow zone, no matter what happens." I began explaining to her and everyone else who was listening, "If he happens to be caught in a surprise attack, a barrier will form to protect him. Or he can activate an over-assist system that can help him fight better. I've been wondering about something ever since this death game started. Where is _that_ man observing us from? Where is he ruling this world? That's when I forgot about the simple truth. It's so simple, that every kid who was played an RPG knows what it is. The truth? There is nothing more boring than watching others play an RPG. Isn't that right, Kayaba Akihiko?"

Everyone gasped as they looked at Heathcliff, who looked around blankly. He looked down on the ground, closed his eyes and sighed. He then spoke with a voice that sounded far different from his usual voice. The voice that spoke right now was just like the voice of the Game Master from SAO's launch day. This is the voice of the real Kayaba Akihiko.

"I am very curious on how you managed to find out." Kayaba spoke.

"I was first suspicious during our battle. You just moved a little too fast at that last moment." I replied.

"Indeed, that was a terrible mistake on my part. I was overwhelmed with your attacks, and so I had to use the system's over-assist mode, as you explained earlier." He admitted, "Indeed I am Kayaba Akihiko… I am also _The Demon King,_ this game's final boss. I await you all at the Ruby Palace, on the 100th Floor of Aincrad."

The whole entire room went into an uproar. Asuna was utterly shocked at the discovery. Everyone was now standing up, shouting at the _Living Legend_ , for lying to them.

"I can't say I like the idea. The strongest player becomes the game's final big boss. Very cliché." I told him.

"What? Don't you think it's a great scenario?" he asked me, "I had imagined that you, Kirito, would be the one to stand up before me on the 100th floor. The Dual Blades skill is a Unique Skill given to the player with the fastest reaction time in this game. The one who wields this ability is also destined to face _The Demon King_ at the very end of the game. You Kirito, have exceeded my expectations quite well, as shown in our previous battle. However, this year, I have recently discovered multiple bugs in this game, as well as the fact that there is a slight problem with the Dual Blades skill… Kirito-kun. Asuna-kun. I believe you know what I am talking about."

Everyone looked at the two of us, looking for answers but I didn't have anything in my mind. However, I flashbacked to the memory of the cloaked man helping us defeat _The Fatal Scythe_ back at the hidden dungeon on the 1st Floor. He too wielded Dual Blades and used Sword Skills meant for that specific  Skill.

"Dual Blades is a Unique Skill, which means only one person may have it. The bug that I came across is definitely a problem that I did not imagine would occur, but did. The system seems to have found two players with reaction times exactly the same as the other's. The system couldn't decide who to give it to and so it gave the skill to both you and that other player. That means there are currently two wielders of the Dual Blades skill."

The room went into another pandemonium. Jealous players complained about how they couldn't get the skill as well, while others celebrated as they now found out that I am not their only hope in this death game, and that there is someone else out there who has the same Unique Skill as me. From the looks of it, the other guy also seems to be much, much stronger than me.

"Kirito, is this true? Is there really another person with that Unique Skill?" Klein asked me.

"It happened not too long ago." I started saying, "We learned that there was someone else who had Dual Blades. Just like me. The person had saved us a dungeon by fighting an extremely powerful boss solo. He handled the boss just fine while Asuna and I took considerable damage just trying to block a single attack from it. Which means, that the other user is a lot stronger than I am."

"Why didn't you recruit him then?" a nearby player shouted at me, "We could've asked him to join the Front Lines and help us clear the game!"

"I don't think you would want to find out who the other user of Dual Blades is. Especially you, Kirito-kun." Heathcliff stated, "However, it seems that the other user is already here, along with the rest of his friends. All of them just happen to be this game's most wanted fugitives."

Heathcliff pointed off to the boss room entrance, which was now wide open. A group of ten players walked inside, all of them wearing familiar black cloaks. They all pulled off their hoods, revealing their faces. Once I saw his face, I became shocked and infuriated at the same time. It was Mortifer and his _Reapers of Sorrow_.

'I-It's the _Reapers of Sorrow_!" a player yelled, causing everyone to draw out their swords and get into a messy formation, facing the small guild of ten.

"Mortifer-kun. I'm happy you joined us." Heathcliff greeted him as he approached the guy, "I was just about to tell them how you were the other Dual Blades user along with Kirito-kun."

"What!" every other player in the room shouted in unison, "He's the one?!"

"Wait, Kirito-kun… If he's the other user, then that means…" Asuna began whispering to me.

"Yeah… He's the one who saved us before Yui deleted _The Fatal Scythe_." I finished her sentence.

"I already know why you are here Mortifer. You wanted to expose my true identity in front of all the players here since everyone would be fatigued including myself." Heathcliff stated, "However, I knew that you were outside the window when Kirito-kun and Asuna-kun reported to me earlier today."

"Wait, he's been following us this whole time?" Asuna whispered to me.

"It seems so… He was there at the 1st Floor dungeon, and Heathcliff just said he was outside the window. I also saw him before we entered the corridor to the dungeon…"

"You don't have to worry about exposing me anymore since Kirito-kun has already done the honors. However, because of that, I want some revenge and so I shall expose you, _Reaper of Sorrow_. Better known as the _Reaper of Laughing Coffin_. You who wields the third Unique Skill in this game that has been given to someone."

The room went silent at his words. Did Heathcliff just say there was another Unique Skill out there? So far, all I am aware of is mine and Mortifer's Dual Blades, as well as Heathcliff's Holy Sword. If Mortifer is the third user of a Unique Skill and it isn't Dual Blades… then that must mean he has two Unique Skills in total!

"I must say, I never expected someone to be able to get the Darkness Blade in the first place." Heathcliff admitted, "I never thought that I had created the MHCPs to be that advanced in reading a player's mental levels."

MHCP… Mental-Health Counceling Program… Yui…

"Why…" Mortifer asked Heathcliff with a serious and demonic voice, "Why did I obtain this Unique Skill… I have a general idea from my past experiences, but I want to know the reason coming from the creator…"

"Originally, the Darkness Blade is given to the player with the most Player-Kills in the game once the 95th Floor is reached. But I decided to change it up a bit to better fit the name of the Unique Skill as well as create a rather interesting questline. I'm sure you despise me for putting you through that hell inside that cave… Anyways, I programmed the Cardinal system to ask the MHCP AIs to give it to the first person they detect an extreme amount of dark, negative emotions. If they can't find one once the 95th Floor is reached, then it is given to the player with the most Player-Kills. Although, you seem to be at the top of both of those lists. From the information you gave us during your imprisonment, I've deduced that the MHCPs detected your darkness during the Night of the Forest. Those Voices inside your heard we also an unexpected outcome, although it seems that it is not the game but your own mind."

"How do you know about the Voices…" Mortifer asked him, slightly pissed off.

"We fought and butted heads. That moment I saw something rather extraordinary. It was very surprising." Heathcliff stated, "Anyways, I never thought that someone would be able to obtain Darkness Blade, or be able to wipe their own memory. But then again, these things do tend to happen. Since it doesn't hurt too much anymore, the Darkness Blade gives the user the power of the night and darkness. Their Hiding, Straining and Tracking skills are automatically Completed and given a slight boost. As some of you may know, Mortifer is capable of turning invisible, as stated in his wanted posters. My favorite part about the Darkness Blade however is the one you hate the most Mortifer… The _Yami no Saji_. I am quite jealous towards you Asuna-kun, as you had experienced it close up."

I looked at Asuna, confused as to what the man was talking about.

"I think I know what he is talking about…" Asuna whispered to me.

"The day of my execution." Mortifer interrupted, "I warned you of what was going to happen if you try to kill me, yet you kept going. When my health reached the red zone, I tried to tell you to kill me right away but my voice failed me. You unleashed a power that the Darkness Blade gives to the user when severely injured. The _Yami no Saji_. Other than the execution day, I've only used it twice before that. The consequence of using such a skill is the loss of self-control. However, I became powerful enough to go against both you and Heathcliff and still managed to win, for the most part."

"Yes, I was most impressed with that feat." Heathcliff praised Mortifer, "I didn't know how much I should set the power spike to be, and so I made it so that the _Yami no Saji_ would quadruple the strength of the player who uses it."

"Wait so… All of those people you killed, was from loss of self-control?" Klein asked Mortifer. Mortifer shook his head, denying the statement.

"The people I killed during my execution day was indeed due to the _Yami no Saji_ activating. The people I killed during my time in _Laughing Coffin_ was a terrible accident that I couldn't have prevented as I had lost my memories. As for the rest of the people I have killed, they were all intentional." He replied, looking down to the ground in shame.

"So you're still a murderer! I can't believe I teamed up with someone like you during the 25th Floor boss raid!" Agil yelled.

"Are we done with this revenge thing Heathcliff?" Mortifer grumbled, "I am getting impatient."

"Hmm… Not quite done yet…" Heathcliff stated, "You and Kirito-kun still have one more secret to share. Why don't you guys discuss it? A brother to brother talk?"

The whole world seemed to stop at that moment. My eyes grew wide in rage at Heathcliff's words. I don't care if he reveals to everyone Dual Blades, or Darkness Blade. Revealing to everyone that we are brothers? He has gone beyond that just crossing the line. He's gone deep into enemy territory.

"Shut up!" I yelled out to Heathcliff, "How do you find out about that!"

"I have an assistant who can track everyone's connection to the game, and their location. I was curious to find who the two of you were, and I was utterly surprised when both of you had the same name." Heathcliff explained

"I don't care if we have the same name. I don't consider him as my brother, and he doesn't consider me as a brother." I declared. Even though I showed my hate towards my relationship to Mortifer, Klein still asked me about it.

"Kirito, are you really brothers with Mortifer? Like biological?" Klein questioned me.

I looked at everyone around me, who also seemed to be curious. Asuna also looked at me, because she also didn't know of this secret. The only ones that weren't shocked was Mortifer and his guild. Mortifer seems like the type of person to tell, and Violet already knew ever since the first time we met. I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of the _Reapers_ knew about my relationship to their leader.

"Yes… He is my brother… My Onii-san…"

Everyone gasped, shocked at the revelation. Who wouldn't be shocked? I, Kirito, one of the most famous and strongest players in the game, is the sibling of the game's most infamous player.

"Although he is my brother, I wished that I had never met him and that I was not his brother at all, let alone someone related to him. He is nothing like me. He just happens to look like me and apparently has the same reaction time as me."

I looked at Mortifer, expecting a blank expression, or possibly one with a smug look. Instead I saw a face filled with remorse. Why does he look so sad? Did I hurt his feelings with my words? Why should my words hurt him? He never cared for me, and I never cared for him. It makes sense for him to not care about my words, not be sad about them.

"Well, that concludes our wonderful conversation." Heathcliff stated. He opened his menu and selected multiple options that I couldn't make out. I didn't know what it was until Asuna fell to the ground.

"K-Kirito-kun…" she whispered as she fell to the ground.

She couldn't move her body. I looked at her health bar at the corner of my screen and saw a yellow lightning bolt symbol. Paralysis. I crouched down next to her and rested her head on my lap. Soon everyone in the room except for myself, was paralyzed.

"What are you planning on doing, Kayaba?" I grunted, "You planning on killing us all of for discovering your secret? Just so you can prolong this game even more?"

"I won't be that unreasonable." The man answered, "Since you have discovered my secret, I will be waiting for you all at the Ruby Palace on the 100th Floor. Originally I was going to part on the 95th Floor and reveal to you guys my true identity, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. I hate to part from my _Knights of the Blood Oath_ and the other Front Liners so early. Before I leave however, I must reward you Kirito, for figuring out my true identity. So now, I offer you a chance…"

"A chance?" I questioned him.

"Yes… A chance to fight me one on one. Of course, my _Immortality_ will be disabled. If you win, the game will be cleared and all players will log out. What do you say, _Black Swordsman_?"

His face showed that he was serious. Kayaba just handed me the fastest end-game possible on a silver platter.

"Don't do it Kirito! He plants on removing you so then only Mortifer can face him." Asuna persuaded me, "For once… For once just don't do it and run away!"

My mind was in conflict. I wanted to fight him but at the same time, I didn't. I wanted to end the game as soon as possible, but I also wanted to live and see the other side again. I began recalling all of the terrible memories I had in this world. All the memories of the people I've seen disappear. Diavel, Keita, Sachi, Corvatz, Godfree, and Yui. I've seen other people die as well, but their names are devoided from me. But the last memory that went through my head was the memory of me and Asuna talking. It happened earlier today, after we reported to Heathcliff.

I tried telling her not to come with me to today's boss fight, but refused, saying that if I had died on her, she would kill herself since there would be no point in living on if she wasn't with me. I remember her crying as she told me that she wanted to date me in real life, and get married. I remembered just how much she wanted to see the other side again, and see me there with her. Recalling the memories started to make me cry, and I couldn't stop myself from remembering it. I promised Asuna that I would get her back to the real world. I can't refuse this fight now…

"Okay then… Let's settle this, once and for all, Kayaba." I answered Heathcliff.

"Kirito!" Asuna cried, trying to move her paralyzed body to stop me.

"I'm sorry Asuna, but I can't run away from this."

"You're not going to die on me, are you?" she asked me, tears forming in her eyes.

"No… I'm going to win. I'm going to win and end this death game." I declared. Even though I said that with determination, I still had some doubts.

"Okay… I believe in you Kirito-kun." She whispered softly.

I took Asuna's hand and put it on her stomach. I slowly moved her head from my lap, and placed it down on the cold, stone floor. I stood up and unsheathed my beloved blades _Elucidator_ and _Dark Repulser_. I then made my way over to Heathcliff, who kept standing there, smiling.

"Kirito, don't do it!" Agil cried out to me.

"Kirito!" Klein also shouted. Before I continued on with the battle, I stopped in front of Heathcliff and faced my friends.

"Agil…" I started saying, "Thank you for supporting the swordsman-class players during the mid-levels. I know you spent almost everything you had earned in order to train them."

Agil was left speechless, since he had wanted to keep it a secret from me but Asuna had informed me about it during our honeymoon. I was happy when I heard about it. Happy that he cared for others and is generous enough to give money despite wanting every single coin each of his customers bring. I then turned to face Klein.

"Klein… I'm…" I started saying but hesitated, "I'm sorry for leaving you behind that day. I've truly regretted it."

"God, damn it Kirito!" Klein sobbed, "Why the hell are you apologizing to me?! Don't you dare apologize to me now! I won't forgive you! Until you treat me to a meal on the other side, I will never forgive you!"

"You got it Klein… I'll see you on the other side." I promised him. And then I heard one voice that I didn't think would hear at all.

"Kirito…" Mortifer's voice called out to me. I turned to see him lying on the ground, paralyzed, "Don't do this Kirito. Listen to what Asuna said. For once, just let this one go. If you want this game to end now, then let me battle him in your place."

"I'm sorry Mortifer, but I don't take orders from you." I told him. He then let out a long sigh.

'So be it then…" he muttered under his breath. I then looked over to Asuna, who managed to turn her body so she could face me. I smiled at her then turned back to Heathcliff.

"Sorry, but I have one last request before we duel." I told Heathcliff.

"Hmm? What is it then?" the man wondered.

"I don't plan on losing to you easily, but if I do happen to die now, make sure that Asuna can't die or kill herself. At least for a while…" I requested him.

"That is an odd request, but I shall grant you your wish. I will make it so Asuna won't be able to leave her home in Selmburg."

"Kirito, no! You can't do that to me! How could you!" Asuna screamed at me.

I'm sorry Asuna, but I had to. I would never forgive myself if you committed suicide, let alone die with me. Heathcliff opened his menu and disabled his _Immortality_ , causing the purple hexagon that said _Immortal Object_ to disappear. He drew out his sword and held his shield up high, prepared to fight. Asuna cried out my name one final time before I put my full concentration on this duel. All ambient sounds that could be distracting were muted, and all thoughts in my head except for this duel were erased. No… This is no ordinary duel. It's a fight to the death… I will kill Heathcliff, and end this game once and for all!

 **(Violet)**

Kirito rushed towards Heathcliff and began a continuous barrage of attacks coming from both of his blades. The way Kirito moved and the way he fought reminded me a bit like Mortifer's. Reckless, fierce, and terrifying. Everyone watched in awe as Kirito kept striking Heathcliff, attack after attack. Although he was fast, Heathcliff managed to keep up with him, flawlessly blocking each and every attack. As they moved around, they would create dust clouds with all of the dirt they are kicking beneath their feet. Both of them we equally skilled, but after Kirito launched a barrage of sword swings, Heathcliff managed to cut Kirito's face.

Suddenly, out of rage, he activated a Dual Blades Sword Skill. However, it was not just any ordinary Sword Skill. It was the most powerful one for the Dual Blades category. I've only seen Mortifer use it once before, and it was devastating. The twenty-seven-hit combo called _The Eclipse_ , the Dual Blades's ultimate Sword Skill.

"That idiot…" Mortifer growled.

I didn't understand what he meant until I saw Heathcliff give Kirito an evil grin as the man raised his shield. Although Kirito's speed made the attack look much more devastating, Heathcliff showed little to no effort in blocking it. That's when I realized why Mortifer had called his brother an idiot. Heathcliff had created Dual Blades, thus he knows all the possible combos that one can do with _The Eclipse_. Because he knows, he can easily block each attack even before Kirito begins his movements.

After a couple of seconds, Kirito finally ended his combo by thrusting his sword, _Dark Repulser_ , at Heathcliff who blocked it with his shield. The blade shattered completely, shocking everyone watching. Kirito then stumbled and stood there frozen, suffering the Post-Motion Delay.

"Farewell, Kirito-kun…" Heathcliff bid him good bye.

At that moment, time seemed to slow down for me. I looked over to Mortifer to see his reaction, only to find him gone. In fact, I couldn't see him anywhere. I then turned to watch the fight again, only to see Asuna jump in the way of Heathcliff's blade. I could see the surprise in Kirito and Heathcliff's face. Even though he saw Asuna, Heathcliff couldn't stop his attack, and so he swung his sword and slashed Asuna right across her chest. She fell into Kirito's arms with ere eyes closed, causing every to gasp. But there was just one problem. Neither Asuna nor Kirito received the attack, therefore neither of them took any damage.

Heathcliff's face suddenly grew alarmed and backed away from his current position, confused as to what just happened. Heathcliff couldn't have missed that swing. Even the sound of a blade cutting through something reached my ears when Heathcliff had swung his sword. It should have hit either Asuna or Kirito, but both of them were unharmed from the powerful Sword Skill. If it didn't hit them, then what did the blade hit?

"I-I'm sorry…" I heard a voice sound throughout the entire room. It was Mortifer's, "I just had to do it Violet… Forgive me…"

My eyes grew wide as I noticed a slight shimmer in the space between Heathcliff and Kirito. The shimmer became increasingly noticeable until you could form a slight silhouette out of it. The shimmer then began gaining color until it fully revealed itself as Mortifer. That's when I became aare of what just happened. Somehow, Mortifer must've escaped his paralysis, like Asuna, through sheer willpower or by an antidote. He had turned invisible, which is why nobody, not even Heathcliff had seen him. My heart shattered as I watched the love of my life become surrounded by darkness, and fell to his knees. Knowing exactly what was going to happen, Kirito picked up Asuna and ran away as Mortifer's body released a wave of darkness across the entire room.

 **(Mortifer)**

My vision was red with blood and fury. All of my senses were sharpened as I felt an extraordinary power coursing through my body. My hunger for blood was once again unbearable, and I wanted to satisfy it so bad. However, I tried my best to resist the urge to go for my friends. Instead, I went and focused on one specific person and smacked my lips, wondering how he would tatse: Heathcliff.

I pulled my hood over my head, and moved my heads to my swords. I unsheathed the twin Legendary Weapons, and showed them off to everyone watching, especially to Heathcliff. Unlike earlier today, the _Sword of Light_ was radiating such a bright light, it looked like a second sun. The _Sword of Darkness_ grew large shadowy tendrils that wrapped around my body, slightly covering my vision. I forced the two blades to calm down and they did so. Although I could have just been hallucinating, I saw Cloud standing right beside me, next to my left arm where I held the _Sword of Light_. Sephiroth stood on my right, next to the _Sword of Darkness_.

"You asked us to guide you through one more journey… So here we are, Mortifer…" Sephiroth stated.

"Let's have one last fight together Mortifer." Cloud said, smiling. I smiled back and the two of them were absorbed back into the blades. I stuck the _Sword of Light_ to the ground and pointed the _Sword of Darkness_ at Heathcliff.

"One final fight… A match against _The Demon King_ , and _The Reaper of Sorrow_ …" I yelled at Heathcliff in a voice I couldn't even recognize, "It's time to end this… now!"

I picked up both of my blades and charged straight to Heathcliff, who raised his shield to block. The sounds produced as my blades hit the shield made it seem like I was listening to a symphony of metallic instruments hitting against each other. I could feel Heathcliff stressing out from the power of my attacks, and so, I put even more power into them.

"Using over-assist now will show everyone that you are a true coward, Kayab! Not that you can even activate it in the current situation you're in." I taunted him, "Even if you do manage to activate it, I will kill still rip you to shreds."

I stopped attacking with my blades and quickly roundhouse-kicked Heathcliff's shield, sending him sliding backwards from the amount of force I put into the attack. After that, I continued barraging him with a fiery dance of white and black. I could tell that every one of my attacks were slowly tiring him, which is why I can't stop now. He tried going on the offensive, and so I switched to being defensive. I can't let him hit me even once, or else I'll die with the insanely small amount of health I have left.

Right now, the first thing I need to do is to get rid of that gigantic shield of his. If I can constantly hit the shield with as much power as possible, I can slowly wear it down to the point where I can break it. And so, I began focusing on hitting just the shield but Heathcliff also noticed my tactic. He began dodging my attacks now or trying to parry them with his sword, but it was a lost cause for him,

"Your attempts at stopping me is futile…" I told him.

I went on the offensive again, forcing him to go back to being defensive. I swung both of my blades at made them strike the shield at the same time. The combined forced caused Heathcliff to bounce back as he didn't brace himself enough. A few more hits like that and his shield would be destroyed. However, Heathcliff was beginning to get tired and he decided to rely on the system by using a Sword Skill. I easily dodged the skill and knocked the sword out of his hands, disarming him.

"My turn…" I told him as I activated the same skill Kirito used just now: _The Eclipse_.

My blades got excited and so the light they radiated as well as the tendrils it formed grew even bigger. The Sword Skill locked onto Heathcliff and I began my merciless attack. With his blade gone, Heathcliff can't counterattack. Even if he does manage to block every single attack, in the end it won't even matter because I want him to block the attacks. I continued my merciless attack and finally jabbed his shield with my _Sword of Light_. Instead of my own sword breaking like Kirito's it was Heathcliff's shield that broke. Shards of his large shield flew everywhere, and I set him flying back from the force of the combo. The man was now completely defenseless, and lacking his blade, which was a meter away from him.

I slowly walked up to him, and he just sat there on the ground, showing no fear. I stopped a meter away and turned to face everyone else. I saw faces full of fear and awe. Kirito and Asuna were shell-shocked, and so was my guild. And at that moment, I felt a warm sensation on my beck and felt something enter my body and come through the other side. I looked down on my stomach and saw Heathcliff's blade sticking through my body, covered in blood which my mind had covered the blade with.

"No!" I heard Violet scream.

I am such a fool for turning my back from the fight at hand. I wanted the moment to last and this is my punishment for wanting too much. How did Heathcliff move so fast? I don't know… But for some reason, it felt like everything was going to be fine. I looked towards my guild, who was extremely shocked at the sudden change of tide in the battle. Even Zed, who hates me, is showing fear of losing me. I then faced Kirito and Asuna. Both of them were surprised they didn't die and speechkless that I was just stabbed by Heathcliff. Finally, I turned to Violet, who were crying tears of sorrow.

"I promised that I would get you out of this game. No matter what the cost…" I told Violet. She looked up and looked straight into my eyes. Her face was now filled with fear.

"No Mortifer… Please don't!" she pleaded.

My health dropped to zero, and I felt my body dissolve as the system begins to remove it from the game. Right before my eyes, I could see the words painted in red across my eyes: You Are Dead… Even so, I continued fighting back. I remembered every good memory I've experienced in this world and every bad one. Using those memories, I turned them into my resolve, and refused to leave this world. I can't leave the world until the deed is done. The feeling of my body came back, and I turned around and faced Heathcliff, who was utterly shocked as to why I wasn't dead yet. I pushed out the blade which was still in my stomach, and it fell to the stone ground. I crossed my arms in front of my chest, holding my twin so that it crossed each other.

The darkness of the room seemed to be getting absorbed by my body, revealing all of the dark spots which I couldn't see before since it was far too dark. My _Sword of Light_ became covered in white flames while my _Sword of Darkness_ became covered in black ones. I raised both of my blades and looked at Heathcliff, letting him have a taste of how powerful my bloodlust is.

'This… is… _The End_..." I told Heathcliff.

The man simply smiled and closed his eyes, knowing full well that he had been defeated. I then unleashed the one and only Sword Skill of the Darkness Blade: _The End_. It was a thirty-hit onslaught of light and darkness. All you could see was a blur passing through Heathcliff again, and again, and again as I simply moved too fast for people to see clearly.

"Die…" I said.

I dashed past him and made a huge slice on the man's body.

"Die" I repeated"

I dashed past him again and made another huge slice, creating an X-shaped scar on his virtual body. I then stepped back ten meters and pointed both my blades at him. I then rushed at him and pierced him with both blades at once. The shadows that my body absorbed quickly exited my body and began surrounding both me and Heathcliff.

"Just die!" I yelled.

I felt my body be torn apart as an explosion of darkness and shadows covered the whole entire room.

 **(Kirito)**

The explosion of darkness was massive. The black smoke covered the room in an instant and is starting to make me cough. In fact, everyone else was coughing along with me. I stood up but I couldn't see where I was going since it was pitch black.

"I'm not paralyzed anymore." She told me. I started hearing the shuffling of the clearers as they got out of paralysis.

All of the clearers began talking, wondering what were the results of the fight. Nobody could see anything in the room, as it was pitch black, which made a few people panic. However, amidst all of that darkness, I spotted a small light in all of it. The light was shaped like a sword, so I assumed it was the sword which Mortifer had wielded. I grabbed Asuna's hand and dragged her over to the sword. I picked it up and began glowing like a sun, just like how it was when Mortifer first pulled them out. We were still in the boss room. Everyone was here except for Heathcliff who had disappeared. I dropped the sword and hugged Asuna.

We're still alive. I didn't lose her, nor did she lose me. Everybody began cheering and celebrating. Amongst all the noise they made celebrating, crying could also be heard. Everyone became quiet as they tried to locate the origins of the crying. We then saw that the _Reapers of Sorrow_ were gathered in a circle surrounding someone. I saw Rizer who looked at me. His face filled with grief and sadness, but no tears.

"Guys make way for Kirito." He commanded them.

The _Reapers of Sorrow_ all looked at me. Some were crying, while others were on the brink of it. Only one person showed neither of those signs, and it was Zed. Even then, he showed sadness. They all tilted their heads down and parted. They revealed a crying Violet who held a dying Mortifer in her hands. I rushed over to them and Asuna followed me. Soon everyone, even the clearers has formed a circle around us. We all watched as Mortifer's body seemed to leak particles of darkness.

"Why? Just now, and when we faced _The Fatal Scythe_ in that dungeon back at the 1st Floor, you saved my life. Why?! Why did you save me?" I desperately asked him. I just didn't understand. Out of all the people in this world who I know, Mortifer is the one who saves me. He started chuckling.

"Is something funny?" I asked him. He then started coughing out more darkness.

"You didn't expect that did you? I don't think anybody did." he laughed out, "I know you hate me Kirito. Everyone in the family hates me. I used to think I hated you guys, but I remembered something important during my time in this game which reminded me how much I care about you guys…"

Tears started forming in his eyes. Why is he crying?

"I'm sorry that I kept it a secret from you. How our parents died right after you were born." He muttered. My eyes stung from his words. He wants to apologize now? I felt a tear go down my cheek.

"Damn you…" I yelled at him. I punched the ground and Asuna rubbed my back. The clearers around us started muttering. Some, like Klein, looked devastated at what just happened.

"I saved you because…" he started saying, "I saved you because… I saved you because you are my brother. Other than our relatives, you are the only true family I have left. I was in the hospital when mother gave birth to you. When the doctors let me in the room, I remember I was so excited to hold you in my arms. I was happy that I got a little brother. When our parents died, I was so happy that you survived with me. You may not remember, but I took care of you just like how an older brother should. What I just did there, is me showing you that I still care for you. I just knew that Asuna would try to save you when something goes wrong. I knew that if I let that happen, not only would you be in pain, but I would have to see you in sorrow. That's the reason why I was able to get up, cloak, and save the both of you from witnessing each other disappear from your eyes."

I heard Asuna crying next to me. I turned to see tears run down her face. Seeing her cry broke me and I started crying too.

"Don't cry Kirito. Both you and Asuna have gone through a lot already. I know most of what has happened." I looked at him in confusion. What does he mean he knows?

"W-What do you mean?" I stuttered. I felt a hand hold mine. I turned to see Violet.

"After he escaped his execution, Mortifer decided to run solo for a bit." Violet began explaining, "He apparently ecountered you when you found a _Ragout Rabbit_ at the 74th Floor. He began following you from there and watched as you used Dual Blades to take down _The Gleam Eyes_. After that, he apparently saved you guys from Kuradeel."

"That was you too?" I sobbed, looking at my brother. He simply nodded.

"When that happened… I had a flashback. To the very moment before our parents left our home and never returned. I remembered that I had made a promise to mother, promising her that whenever our parents were gone, I would protect you from all harm whilst making sure that I don't cause any harm to you. They were so proud to have you as their new-born child, and they trusted me completely that I would protect you… I'm angry at myself that I wasn't able to fulfil that promise…"

Mortifer began crying now. He was sobbing as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"I know of the demise of the _Moonlit Black Cats_. I watched as Kuradeel was about to kill you. And when I saw that he was about to attack Asuna, I interfered and stabbed him while I had my cloak on. I couldn't let either of you go through the pain of having to kill someone. I also know that you and Asuna took a break from the front lines. You went to the 22nd floor and saved Argo from the flying house. I met up with her and she told me about your marriage, which made me happy. I saw you enjoy your honeymoon at your log cabin. And then… I saw you two with Yui."

Asuna started crying even more as she clutched on to the amulet I gave her. _Yui's Heart_.

"She was an amazing daughter. Both of you loved her as much as she loved you. When _The Fatal Scythe_ attacked, I tried protecting you guys but I failed and Yui had to do it herself. I was even more shocked to find about the truth of Yui. Then I saw you met Nishida. I saw you help Nishida reel the fish god that lived inside of the lake, and watched as Asuna killed it with ease. Even though I am wanted, I still followed you to  Grandzam and eavesdropped on you guys through the window, as Heathcliff said earlier. And now, I find myself here dying… How unfortunate…"

Mortifer tried laughing but only started coughing even more. His body, which had only been leaking a continuous stream of darkness, is now beginning to fade, starting with his feet. Mortifer struggled to look up to see his face, and so Violet helped him by resting his head on her lap.

"I guess I'll see you again Kirito… But this time, it's in a better place… At least that's what I hope for…"

Mortifer let go of my hand, closed his eyes, and started smiling. That's when I realized that he can't go… Not yet…

"Mom and Dad… What were they like?" I asked him. Mortifer opened his eyes and he began shedding tears of joy as he began reminiscing about the past.

"Just like our family now, they didn't always like me." Mortifer began explaining, "I was always messing around not listening to them. But they cared for me just like how any parent should. As for resemblance, we looked a lot like our father. I had his eyes while you had Mom's. Speaking of Mom, when you were still in her belly, she would always sing a lullaby right before she slept. It was meant for you in case you also wanted to sleep but had trouble doing so. Dad would crouch down and talk to Mom's belly whenever he got back home from work, hoping his words reached you. They were so happy to see your face when you were born. In my mind, I was thinking they they wanted this one to be the perfect child for them, because I knew I wasn't the one they wanted. I was nowhere close…"

Mortifer's words effectively hit my heart, and it did the same for everyone else. Violet brushed off the tears on Mortifer's face with the sleeve of her shirt whilst letting her own tears fall on his forehead.

"The day after you were born, I made my promise to protect you and they left. Our promise was the last time I heard words come out from their mouths. This whole time, I forgot about that promise. And here I am, sixteen years later, remembering the exact words… I guess I really can't break promises that easily…"

Mortifer's legs have faded up to his knees now. He looked towards Asuna, who was right beside me, crying on my shoulder.

"Asuna… Promise me that you will keep my brother safe and happy. Promise that, okay?" Mortifer asked her. Asuna wiped the tears off her eyes and smiled at him, nodding.

"Okay… I promise…"

Mortifer looked upwards to see Violet's face. She was holding both of his hands tightly, kissing the silver ring he wore around one of his fingers whilst letting her tears fall on his hand.

"I told you that I was going to get you out of here… I love you Violet, but I don't want to see you die, just like Kirito." He said whilst smiling. He then looked towards the guild and gave them a stern expression, "All of you… Take care of Violet for me when I'm gone… You guys better not do anything to hurt her."

The _Reapers of Sorrow_ … The most feared guild in all of Aincrad after the fall of _Laughing Coffin_ , is now saluting and crying as their leader died right in front of their eyes. Mortifer started coughing again and pointed to a certain place. I followed where he pointed and saw his two swords. Klein and Agil both had the same idea and fetched it for me.

"Thanks you guys." I told them. They went back into the crowd and continued watching.

I gave the swords to Mortifer who held it gingerly. A light grew from one sword, while a darkness oozed out of the other. They both clumped together by Mortifer's feet and began forming a silhouette. The silhouette then started gaining some color until it became a person. Well, it was more like a ghost as the man was slightly transparent and had a white aura. The man had spiky blonde hair and carried a large sword on his back. For some reason, I recognized him.

"Hey Mortifer. That was one heck of a battle we had just now." He laughed. Both he and Mortifer were laughing. How can they be laughing at a time like this?

"Yes… It definitely was Cloud." Mortifer laughed out. "But there was less light in the dungeon than in here. Everyone, this is Cloud Strife, a super-advanced Artificial Intelligence, just like Yui. Cloud is my mentor and is also the person who trained me to fight this well. You may all think I'm nothing but a dark monster. I probably am, but Cloud taught me one thing…"

Mortifer's chest was starting to glow and a small ball of light came out from his heart.

"No matter how dark the darkness is, there is always a light to guide you your way."

Mortifer slowly reached for the light and touched it, unable to close his hand on it. Cloud put his hand on Mortifer's light and grabbed it. He motioned for us to do the same. Violet, Asuna, Cloud, and I all held onto Mortifer's hand. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Klein holding my shoulder, then Agil did the same. Everyone, even the clearers who despised Mortifer, touched each other on the shoulder or back, making some sort of connection to Mortifer's light.

"I love you little brother. Always have, always will. I just wished I had shown it to you sooner." Mortifer whispered to me.

He was crying. Half of his body has faded. Only his upper body remains. He looked towards his guild who all looked at him.

"I've only been with you guys for such a short time, but it feels like forever to me. And Violet…" Mortifer continued speaking. Violet looked at him in the eyes, "We've come a long way ever since we met. And now, I'll tell you all about the things we've done together when I see you again."

A tear ran down Violet's cheek and Mortifer caught it with his spare hand. We all watched in silence as my brother faded away.

"The voices…" he muttered, a pained expression growing in his face. "They just… won't stop..."

He let go of the light and his arms went slump. He closed his eyes as he burst into a million pieces. The death animation in Sword Art Online. Those pieces then faded into darkness. The light that we were all connected to faded, along with the darkness that leaked out of Mortifer's body. Violet broke down completely and Asuna rushed to her side. The Reapers of Sorrow made a sign of the cross and got down on one knee and bowed. The clearers didn't move or speak. I was completely frozen. Unable to process what just happened. Cloud then grabbed Mortifer's two swords and held them.

"He finally found his light." He said.

I looked at him and he looked at me. He gave me a quick smile and his ghostly appearance was sucked into the two blades. The blades hovered and spun in circles until they both faded away. Then we heard a loud ringing noise that came from every direction. Everyone stood up, wondering what was happening. Then we heard a voice announcing something.

"As of November 7th, 2:55 PM, the game has been cleared." It said. "The game has been cleared."

At that moment, the whole world turned white.

 **(Violet)**

I opened my eyes and found myself in some weird place above the clouds. I was standing on a floating glass platform. And then I heard a voice.

"Violet?" the voice said. I turned around to see Kirito and Asuna standing right beside each other, and holding hands.

"W-Where are we?" I stuttered.

I looked around and saw nothing but the sky. But then Asuna pointed downwards and I looked over the edge of the platform we were on. I witnessed the Floating Castle Aincrad as it began falling from the sky, each of its floors slowly breaking down. I saw the Island that we lived in fall into nothingness. I had so many memories in that island. But why do I not feel any sadness?

"Impressive view, isn't it?" I heard another voice say. I turned to see someone in a white suit standing there.

"Kayaba Akihiko?" Kirito gasped.

This is Kayaba Akihiko? This guy is the creator of Sword Art Online? Although I should be angry at the man, I wasn't. I felt like I was in complete peace, except for the fact that I just lost Mortifer.

"Right now, in the basement of Argus Headquarters, the memory banks of the SAO mainframe is being deleted. Every single byte of data will be gone. In a couple of minutes, the whole world will be deleted. All the six-thousand remaining players are being successfully logged out." Kayaba declared.

"What about the dead people? What happens to the four thousand who lost their lives?" Kirito asked the creator.

"They will never regain consciousness ever again. Even if it is a Virtual World, the dead do not return." Kayaba answered.

"Why did you do all of this?" Kirito asked

"Why you ask? For a long time, I've forgotten why I made this world. When I began developing the Full-Dive Environment System… No, even longer before that happened... I longed for nothing but to create a floating castle. A new world that surpassed the laws and boundaries of the real world." Kayaba said. As we listened to him talk, the three of us sat at the edge of the platform, "And now, I've borne witness to someone who surpassed even my own world's laws and boundaries. Your brother, Mortifer, managed to break the boundaries of my world."

We all tilted our heads, remembering that we lost Mortifer just now. Although I remained in peace, I felt a tear run down my cheek.

"I wonder how old I was when I became fascinated with that steel castle floating in the sky." He started to recall, "I wanted to leave the world, and go to that floating castle. It was my only desire, for a long time. You see, I still believe that this castle is out there, in some other world."

"Yeah… it'd be nice if it did exist." Kirito muttered. We all agreed that it would be nice if Aincrad was real. I could live in the island again. With all my friends. And Mortifer…

"That reminds me," Kayaba started saying, "Congratulations on clearing the game. Kirito, Asuna, and Violet. Mortifer was also a big help."

"Where is he?" I asked him, "If we are here then why isn't he here?"

"I'm sorry but I had trouble locating Mortifer in the system, just like how we had trouble determining him in the game. It seems that his files in the system were already deleted, long before I was able to send him here. Anyways, I'll be heading off now…"

Kayaba started walking away from us. A gust of wind blew by and his body quickly dissolved into dust. The particles of dust were then carried off by the wind. The three of us were now alone. We watched as the 100th floor of Aincrad, the Ruby Palace, crumble and disappear.

"I guess this is good bye." Kirito said.

"Before we do disappear, can we exchange our names? Our real names?" Asuna asked us.

"Sure, why not?" I said with a warm smile.

"Kirigaya. Kirigaya Kazuto. That's my real name." Kirito said "I think I turned sixteen last month."

Funny. I thought Kirito would be older. Seventeen at least.

"Kirigaya Kazuto… You are younger than me!" Asuna exclaimed with a smile. "My name is Yuuki Asuna, I am seventeen."

"Yuuki Asuna… You used your real name for your character name?" Kirito questioned her, slightly laughing.

"It was asking for my name and so I put it in! I didn't know anything about video games then!" Asuna yelled whilst blushing, "What about you Violet? What's your name?"

"My name is Yuzuki Ai. I am nineteen." I told them. Then I remembered about Mortifer. "Kirigaya-kun… What was your brother's name?"

"My brother…" Kirito muttered. "His name is Kirigaya Katsumoto. I believe he turned twenty January."

"Kirigaya Katsumoto…" I quietly whispered. I started crying now, this time the peace was gone, replaced with sorrow. Kirito and Asuna began to comfort me. "I never actually got to ask him myself, or told him my name. I wish I did."

"I can come and find you and tell you where he is." Kirito informed me.

"Or you can say it to him yourself." I heard a voice say. But that voice… Could it be?

We all turned around and saw Mortifer wearing his cloak and mask, standing there and smiling. I stood up and ran into his arms. We embraced for a long time until Mortifer spoke.

"Hello… My name is Kirigaya Katsumoto…" he greeted me, "What is your name?"

"My name is Yuzuki Ai. It's nice to meet you Katsumoto-kun." I said, smiling happily.

We both walked to Kirito and Asuna and sat back down the edge of the platform.

"Didn't Kayaba say that the system deleted you already?" Kirito asked him.

"I guess so. But my files were already corrupted way back when it first thought I was dead." Mortifer answered.

We then looked back at where Aincrad was supposed to be, only to see nothing. We sat there until we noticed that our platform was beginning to disappear.

"I guess we will see you on the other side Violet and Asuna." Kirito said.

We all smiled as the four of us waited for us to disappear. I leaned on Mortifer who brushed his hand against my hair. If he is here, then will he be able to log out like me? I hope so, because then I'll be able to meet him in the real world. If he's going to die right after this, then I might as well spend the last moment I have with him, here in the place where it all began for us. This is our Aincrad, and nobody can take it away from us…

"I love you… Yuzuki Ai…" Mortifer whispered into my ear.

"I love you too… Kirigaya Katsumoto…" I whispered back.

We then shared one final kiss before my entire world turned white with light.

 **(Mortifer)**

I hear beeping, and voices… Why am I hearing voices? I feel so weak, and my eyes were heavy. I hear someone walking nearby. Their footsteps echoed, like they were in a hallway. I still hear the Voices. They are the same Voices that I heard in SAO. Am I still in the game?

I see a light going through my eyes and so I try to open them. At first it was blinding but then my eyes adjusted. I see a ceiling fan so that means I'm lying down. I see that something is covering my head so I touch it with my hands which took a lot to move. It was some sort of helmet. I slowly sat up and looked around.

I was in a hospital bedroom. I'm back in the real world. Somehow the NerveGear hadn't fried my brain and now I'm back. And then I remembered about what just happened earlier. Kirito. Violet. It took all my strength but I managed to remove my helmet and the wires connected to me. I held onto my IV since I can't simply remove the connection from it. I used my IV as a walking stick and walked to the open doorway. I looked at the rooms adjacent to mine. To my left, about two rooms away I saw the sign "Kirigaya Kazuto". Kirito… My brother.

I limped my way to his door and found it open. I heard voices inside, and then suddenly crying. To be polite I knocked on the door and staggered inside. A nurse confronted me, shocked to see that I was moving around.

"You shouldn't be here, go back to your room" she whispered quietly. She immediately came to my side and helped me. But I refused.

"No I need to see my brother." I argued with her.

"Katsumoto?" I heard Kirito's voice say. He's alive, good. I limped inside and saw Kirito, well in this case Kazuto, sitting up on his bed. He was smiling while Suguha was crying on his lap.

"Hey little brother." I answered smiling, "We did it." He shook his head.

"No… You did." He corrected. We were both back in the real world, and this time I can make changes to my relationships with my family. Suddenly the voices in my head grew loud and I clutched my head, "They are still in your head?"

"Yeah…" I sighed, "I guess I'll have to deal with it for the rest of my life unless I get help."

"Deal with what?" Suguha asked. Both Kirito and I started chuckling.

"It's a really long story."

/

/

/

Thank you guys so much for reading this story. I really enjoyed writing it (except for the Cave chapters), even if only a handful of people will read it. Like I said in the earlier chapters, I've plotted out this fan fiction all the way to the end of the Mother's Rosario Arc. If I do ever want to continue this story, I'll make sure to post it here for everyone to read. Remember to check my profile for the Google+ link so you can see the different character's of the story. My friend is still drawing Zed, Konno, ViVi, Trish and Aqua so those may take a while.

Anyways, it's been 1 and 1/2 years since I started this story, and I've enjoyed my journey ever since. It started off when mu cousin had shown me the anime and it highly appealed to me despite all the hate it receives. It was what really brought me back into watching Anime and stuff. Unbelievably, I began writing this fan fiction on my iPhone 4S using the **Notes** app as my word document. I then transferred it to my cousin's computer, where it just took off from there.

Have a Happy New Year (2017)!

Sayonara,

Mortifer V


	37. Chapter 35: The End (Alternate Ending)

_This chapter will be four sections of chapters that have been_ _slightly_ _rewritten to fit the events that will occur in this Alternate Ending. If you do not understand the context, please read the original chapters and pick up from where the rewritten sections begin. To help, I have also labeled which chapter corresponds to which rewritten event in the story. Because this is an alternate ending, this is completely optional so there is no need to read this. Please remember that this is a fictional story so not everything will obey the laws of the real world._

 **Chapter 14: Shadows (Mortifer)**

"Mortifer…" Cloud began speaking to me, "Do you want to know the reason why the Cardinal system believes you are dead?"

Cloud's voice had a serious tone to it. When I looked at his face, he expressed so many different emotions, I couldn't tell how he was really feeling. His question then kept repeating in my mind. I've been wondering that question for so long now, yet I can't even get a single idea.

"Before you answer, I want to warn you…" Cloud spoke with a more serious tone, "You will definitely not like the answer I give you if you choose to listen to my words."

Cloud's expression now showed empathy and worry. Even Sephiroth, whom I assumed is Cloud's evil side, is showing a hint of empathy. Seeing Sephiroth's face made me scared to find out why I am considered dead by the system. However, I don't even know if I'm dreaming or not. All these events occurring around me tells me it is a dream. But unless it's a terrible nightmare caused by the Voices, I have never received a single dream ever since coming here to Aincrad. If I decline Cloud's offer, I may never know the reason why I am a ghost. I would rather trust Cloud and regret my decision, than doubt him and regret afterwards.

"Go ahead… Tell me…" I told him.

My response forced even Sephiroth to lower his guard. Cloud noticed this and did the same, seemingly trusting his mortal enemy that he would not blindside him. Cloud opened his menu and revealed a portion which I have never seen before. Noticing all the different options, I hypothesized that it was an administrator menu for the MHCPs. Cloud then pulled out a black octahedron with blue outlines. A mysterious white fog suddenly piled up in a small area in front of Cloud. The octahedron began glowing and its upper portion unfolded like a blooming flower.

The octahedron emitted different colored lights on the white fog. When I looked at the fog, the series of emitted light rays played some sort of film. I could see someone in black, running across a forest in the middle of a stormy night. Upon closer examination, I realized it was me. This is what happened after I ran away that night and before I met Cloud. The memories of the Night of the Forest which I couldn't remember. The octahedron then began playing two different videos at once, the new one being a recording of Cloud talking to two silhouettes back in the Cave.

 _"_ _Cloud... I never thought I would be needing to come here, but it seems there really is someone in this game who you will be guiding." One of the silhouettes spoke to him. The voice which spoke sounded that of a girl._

 _"_ _Are you telling me you found someone who fits the required parameters for the_ _Darkness Blade_ _?" Cloud asked her._

 _"_ _Yes." The other silhouette spoke. Her voice was also that of a girl, "Not only that, but his mental health is beyond our abilities. Since you are the most advanced version of the_ _Mental Health – Counseling Program_ _, we came here to ask you to help save this man."_

 _"_ _What is this player's name?" Cloud asked them._

 _"_ _The player is called Mortifer. Coincidentally, this player is heading to this mountain range right now." The first silhouette spoke. Cloud opened his menu and searched up my name._

 _"_ _Unbelieveable…" Cloud gasped, "His mental parameters are definitely something I did not expect. I will make it my goal to help this person then, especially since I was designed to do so and because not even you two are capable of doing so."_

 _"_ _If we can somehow intercept him quick enough for us to not be detected by the_ _Cardinal_ _, then you are free to do whatever you want to help this man." The second silhouette spoke, "Now, where are his coordinates?"_

Before Cloud could answer, let alone check, lightning cracked the sky and a figure ran inside of the cave in a blur. When the figure stopped, I noticed that the figure was me. I was screaming and clutching my head, mentioning the Voices. The three MHCPs were shocked to see me there and seeing me up close. My person from the past looked at the three AIs and stared at them in confusion. When lightning struck once again, I resumed my screaming and quickly ran back outside.

 _"_ _No wait, this mountain is far too slippery. At that speed, he's going to fall off!" Cloud yelled as he stood up and broke into a sprint._

Surely enough, past-Cloud watched as past-me ran off the edge of the cliff and began falling. Cloud, now desperate, dove after my screaming avatar and tried to grab him. The two other AIs watched from the top of the cliff, shocked. Cloud shouted in what felt like rage as he struggled to fall faster than my own body. At the very end however, my body fell into the ocean, dying instantly from the impact. The video switched back to the other two AI, who were checking on my current status and the green light which indicated that I was alive turned grey, indicating death. Cloud flew back up to the top of the cliff, tears were forming in his eyes despite him being an AI.

 _"_ _Damn it… I wasn't fast enough." Cloud sobbed. His crying continued on for a minute when another voice suddenly boomed in the night._

 _"_ _Stop the screaming! Please!" it spoke. The voice which sounded through the stormy night sounded like my own, "I'm sorry for killing you! So please stop!"_

 _"_ _What is this?" the second silhouette spoke, "A glitch in the_ _Cardinal_ _?"_

 _"_ _I can still feel Mortifer's soul in the game. That shouldn't be possible. His brain should've been destroyed by now due to the NerveGear's microwave burst." The first silhouette spoke, "Unless… No, no… It can't be."_

 _"_ _No… I think it is exactly what you are thinking." Cloud spoke._

The video suddenly cut off there and the octahedral video player broke into a thousand pieces, just like any item whose expiration timer ticks to zero.

"W-What happened in the end?" I nervously asked Cloud.

"This may be hard to grasp, and it definitely sounds like it is impossible…" Cloud began, "But the reason why you are not detected by the system is because the real you died that night Mortifer. In the video, your body hit the ocean and died instantly from the impact. A few moments after that, the NerveGear you wear fried your brain with a high-output microwave burst. Your body in the real world is most likely in the ground already. It has been dead for several months now…"

"W-Wait…" I stammered, "If I am dead, then why am I here?! Why am I still living?! I can see, hear, feel, smell, and taste everything that's going on! The air of this room is cold and I can see your face. I can hear your voices as well as the ones inside my head. I can taste the dirt in the air which you guys swept up during your fight. I can smell the sweat perspiring from my body. If I am dead, then why do I feel alive?!"

I was desperate to know. Cloud and Sephiroth also sensed the desperation in my voice.

"There are two reasons why you are still here, with one of them being the main one. This main reason is due to the power of your soul." Cloud answered.

"My… My soul?" I questioned him.

"I do not understand it either, but somehow, your soul overpowered the system. When it tried deleting you, it fought back and delayed your deletion. Although there was no physical battle that was visible, your fight with the system was hard fought. The chaos you caused within the system made it so your avatar was revived back at the Monument of Life in the 1st Floor. Your soul then escaped back into that body of virtual body of yours. The system tried deleting you but that's when the unexpected occurred. The creator of this game, Kayaba Akihiko, stopped the Cardinal from deleting you, and turned you into a follower-NPC. Follower-NPCs are the more advanced type of NPCs, and they are the closest NPCs can get to being human without being a complicated AI such as myself. However, since your avatar and soul was human, some human traits and abilities remained with you, such as a Friends list and Party option."

"Wait so you're saying…" I tried speaking but my voice failed me as I began realizing what I am.

"You are only part of the Mortifer which used to live both in this world and the real one. An empty shell which only contains a soul. To put it to harsher words, you are merely an illusion to those around you. While they can physically sense your body, the moment your avatar perishes once again or the moment real players notice that you are an illusion, you will fade back into non-existence…

I fell to my knees and looked at my hands. This body is an illusion? But… But… It doesn't feel like anything different… I'm still having nightmares. I still hear the Voices. I still feel like myself… If I'm not real, then what is the point of living anymore? Something flashed nearby me, and I looked over to see my sword. The sword radiated a black aura and it began calling out for me. I reached for the sword and held it gingerly in my hands. Yes… Maybe I'll do just that…

"If I can't actually see Violet and my friends again, then maybe it is best for me to end it right here… Right now…" I said as I raised the sword and proceeded to drive it right into my stomach. Before it pierced my body, Cloud stopped the sword.

"I'm sorry Mortifer, but I can't let you do that…" he told me.

"Why!" I shouted at him as I quickly stood up and put the sword against his throat, "Why should I stop?! You just said that the only part of me that remains in this world is my soul! If my soul wants to kill itself, then why should I listen to you!"

"Because you made me promise to protect you from doing so!" Cloud shouted back in defiance. His sudden change in tone caught me off guard, "When you were revived, I searched your head and you dreamed about something. In the dream, you had a physical conscience I could talk to. It told me to make sure that you can keep a promise you made long ago. When I asked what was this promise of yours, he showed me through the dream. He told me not to tell you what your promise was because you will eventually find out later. So please Mortifer, live for my sake and your own! You need to keep your promise, to the one you care about most!"

Cloud's body gave off an extremely bright light and Sephiroth, who has said nothing for a while now, suddenly held an expression of anger. The _Shadows of Sorrow_ , which had also been standing idly, made a scared expression and began running away.

"You need to promise me to get out of this cave alive Mortifer. Please survive the pain and suffering you will endure until this game ends. I hope you won't regret doing so, but if you do, then I'm sorry… If that does happen, then I hope this parting gift will somewhat make up for your suffering. This will be when we part ways. Good bye now Mortifer…"

Cloud's body exploded, giving off blinding light. I could feel my body be thrown around and hear Sephiroth shouting in anger. The _Shadows of Sorrow_ also made a screaming sound as it also perished. I did not feel any pain but I soon found myself drifting into a deep sleep, with the Voices screaming at the back of my head.

 **The next day**

I could still hear them screaming. Even though I had fallen asleep, I did not receive any nightmares. I just heard the Voices throughout the entire time. How long had I been asleep? It felt like eternity, but it my sense of time was affected by the Voices, so it may have only been a day, or even a few hours. I'm too weak to do anything. Even as I said that however, I felt the entire cavern start shaking.

I thought it was just me, so I stayed in place and kept lying on the ground, bathing in the faint sunlight of the cave's ceiling. When the rumbling continued, I knew something was up. When I looked around, I noticed that the whole room was lit. The hallway which Cloud and I came from was covered in a dark black fog. On the opposite side of the room, there was a staircase leading upwards. The stairs however looked ancient. One step may cause it to gave way, and who knows what could be under that staircase. It could be just solid rock, or an endless pit.

I was trying to decide which one made more sense to me when the door from the hallway suddenly fell down to the ground. A whole cloud of darkness flooded into the room, and a shadowy figure emerged from it. At first, I couldn't tell what it was due to my blurry vision, but when my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I recognized it completely. It was the same monster which was trying to follow me and Cloud into this room before we entered it. The one that was trying to beat down on the gate. I can tell because it still held its two green flaming swords on its hands. Its green eyes also gave off a feeling of hatred and rage.

The creature of shadow roared and began charging towards me. My body went into a panicked state. I can't fight this as I don't think I have the ability to fight this titan. I have no clue what it is or what it is capable of, and I have no intentions of finding out. I looked towards the staircase and made a run for it.

I ran up the staircase as fast as I could. I was still too fatigued to use my super speed, and so I ran at my normal maximum. The staircase slowly broke down behind me and sure enough, there was only an endless pit below it. The giant tried to catch up but with the staircase gone, it gave no chase. However, it smashed its fist against the wall of the cavern, causing it to shake even more. The cave ceiling above me started cracking and I knew that I needed to run, or else I would be caught in a cave-in and perish.

And so, I ran. I didn't look back since I had no reason to. After a minute of going up the stairs, I started seeing light. Not just any sort of light however, sunlight. The actual sunlight. The feeling of getting to see it again gave me more energy, but the cave began collapsing even faster. I began using my super speed since I felt like I could make it even if I do happen to pass out afterwards. The cave-in also decided to use its super speed and collapsed even faster than it should be.

My cloak got clipped and it was ripped off of my body, causing myself to trip momentarily. A rock fell and slammed into my face, causing my mask to turn in an oddway, blocking my vision. Instead of fixing it, I simply ripped it off to save time. I even removed my belt, which I only used to carry the sheathe of my sword. I threw it away without even saying good bye and reached my hand out for the light.

"Please make it… Please!" I shouted.

I ran out of the cave in extreme speed and got launched when I tripped on a rock that was sitting in front of the cave's exit. I could feel the sun on my back, and it felt amazing. I wish I could feel this sensation for a lot longer, but it seems to me that I have now endangered myself. I am still in the air, and my momentum is bringing me towards the edge of a cliff. Time slowed for me as I watched myself go over the edge and fall down into a river. When my body turned over to look at the sky, I reached my hand out to the birds flying above me.

"Even though Cloud just saved me and made me promise… Even though I have no clue what was the promise I made… This is where I will say good bye to this cruel world." I whispered to myself.

The instant I hit the water, I felt a weird and painful sensation in my head. It was worst than a head ache and it was definitely not the Voices. I tried thinking up of things that could cause the severe pain, but my consciousness was fading. I tried to fight back from falling asleep but my body refused. As I closed my eyes, I watched the health bar which had regenerated during my sleep, drop down to the yellow zone, then orange, and then finally red. I didn't make it in time to see it fully empty out, and I sunk into darkness which I hoped would last forever.

 **Chapter 32: Morning Dew Girl**

I rubbed my hand against the black administrator console. So Yui is one of those AIs that talked with Cloud that night. The other one, I still have no clue who they are. Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Right after Yui had disappeared, she told me that my time was coming soon, but she didn't know how or when. Will I die, or will someone find out that I am simply an illusion in this world? I have no clue. If I do happen to die, I just hope I can tell Violet and my guild the truth about me. Of course, they won't believe the ridiculous story, but if Violet survives and looks for me in the real world, then my body may already be in the ground. Even now, my body is continuously feeling colder than it was when I first learned I was merely an illusion. This coldness radiates a sensation of death, which is why I fully believe Cloud. Yui's appearance removed my doubts about being dead, which I couldn't really say is a bad thing, but it wasn't good either.

"Cloud… How do you think this journey of mine will end?"

 **Chapter 34: Reporting for Duty (After Mortifer's conversation with Violet)**

We sat there for a bit until Violet stopped crying. She then got up and went inside to prepare. Once she was gone, I opened my menu and went to my Skills menu. I stared at my Unique Skill: Darkness Blade. I focused on two words. _The End_. Ever since I discovered this Unique Skill, I've been wondering what _The End_ is supposed to mean. It was an ability but it didn't have a description or anything. All it gave me was a symbol of two twin swords, one black, the other white, crossing each other. This symbol had appeared only when I Completed my Dual Blades skill, and I now fully understand what it means. However, just like its name states, I will only use it as a last resort.

I closed my Skills menu and opened my inventory. I scrolled down and equipped my beloved Sword of Light and Sword of Darkness. Neither of the blades seemed to be doing its usual thing. The white sword didn't shine nor did the black sword ooze out darkness. They looked like ordinary swords but I know these swords have personalities in them. They too were waiting for me to confront Heathcliff. Because they were like this, I became even more confident that this really is the perfect time to confront Heathcliff, and that he is the one I need to kill.

However, that left me with what will happen after my fight. I have played many scenarios in my head, and not a single one of them do I come out alive. Even with the incredible power of the _Yami no Saji_ , I do not see myself living, and I don't know why. Is it because I am going to sacrifice myself? Or will I just make a fatal mistake which will cost me my life. Either way, I need to kill Heathcliff. If he really is Kayaba, the game may end though I am not so sure. If what I predict is correct, then I need to tell them about it before I disappear, or else they will only be confused as to how I ended up dying a year before the game had ended. Although it will hurt Violet, I hope she can move on from this, despite all the wonderful memories we had together and the suffering we experienced together.

 **Chapter 35** : **The End (Kirito – After Mortifer fights Heathcliff)**

The explosion of darkness was massive. The black smoke covered the room in an instant and is starting to make me cough. In fact, everyone else was coughing along with me. I stood up but I couldn't see where I was going since it was pitch black.

"I'm not paralyzed anymore." She told me. I started hearing the shuffling of the clearers as they got out of paralysis.

All of the clearers began talking, wondering what were the results of the fight. Nobody could see anything in the room, as it was pitch black, which made a few people panic. However, amidst all of that darkness, I spotted a small light in all of it. The light was shaped like a sword, so I assumed it was the sword which Mortifer had wielded. I grabbed Asuna's hand and dragged her over to the sword. I picked it up and began glowing like a sun, just like how it was when Mortifer first pulled them out. We were still in the boss room. Everyone was here except for Heathcliff who had disappeared. I dropped the sword and hugged Asuna.

We're still alive. I didn't lose her, nor did she lose me. Everybody began cheering and celebrating. Amongst all the noise they made celebrating, crying could also be heard. Everyone became quiet as they tried to locate the origins of the crying. We then saw that the _Reapers of Sorrow_ were gathered in a circle surrounding someone. I saw Rizer who looked at me. His face filled with grief and sadness, but no tears.

"Guys make way for Kirito." He commanded them.

The _Reapers of Sorrow_ all looked at me. Some were crying, while others were on the brink of it. Only one person showed neither of those signs, and it was Zed. Even then, he showed sadness. They all tilted their heads down and parted. They revealed a crying Violet who held a dying Mortifer in her hands. I rushed over to them and Asuna followed me. Soon everyone, even the clearers has formed a circle around us. We all watched as Mortifer's body seemed to leak particles of darkness.

"Why? Just now, and when we faced _The Fatal Scythe_ in that dungeon back at the 1st Floor, you saved my life. Why?! Why did you save me?" I desperately asked him. I just didn't understand. Out of all the people in this world who I know, Mortifer is the one who saves me. He started chuckling.

"Is something funny?" I asked him. He then started coughing out more darkness.

"You didn't expect that did you? I don't think anybody did." he laughed out, "I know you hate me Kirito. Everyone in the family hates me. I used to think I hated you guys, but I remembered something important during my time in this game which reminded me how much I care about you guys…"

Tears started forming in his eyes. Why is he crying?

"I'm sorry that I kept it a secret from you. How our parents died right after you were born." He muttered. My eyes stung from his words. He wants to apologize now? I felt a tear go down my cheek.

"Damn you…" I yelled at him. I punched the ground and Asuna rubbed my back. The clearers around us started muttering. Some, like Klein, looked devastated at what just happened.

"I saved you because…" he started saying, "I saved you because… I saved you because you are my brother. Other than our relatives, you are the only true family I have left. I was in the hospital when mother gave birth to you. When the doctors let me in the room, I remember I was so excited to hold you in my arms. I was happy that I got a little brother. When our parents died, I was so happy that you survived with me. You may not remember, but I took care of you just like how an older brother should. What I just did there, is me showing you that I still care for you. I just knew that Asuna would try to save you when something goes wrong. I knew that if I let that happen, not only would you be in pain, but I would have to see you in sorrow. That's the reason why I was able to get up, cloak, and save the both of you from witnessing each other disappear from your eyes."

I heard Asuna crying next to me. I turned to see tears run down her face. Seeing her cry broke me and I started crying too.

"Don't cry Kirito. Both you and Asuna have gone through a lot already. I know most of what has happened." I looked at him in confusion. What does he mean he knows?

"W-What do you mean?" I stuttered. I felt a hand hold mine. I turned to see Violet.

"After he escaped his execution, Mortifer decided to run solo for a bit." Violet began explaining, "He apparently ecountered you when you found a _Ragout Rabbit_ at the 74th Floor. He began following you from there and watched as you used Dual Blades to take down _The Gleam Eyes_. After that, he apparently saved you guys from Kuradeel."

"That was you too?" I sobbed, looking at my brother. He simply nodded.

"When that happened… I had a flashback. To the very moment before our parents left our home and never returned. I remembered that I had made a promise to mother, promising her that whenever our parents were gone, I would protect you from all harm whilst making sure that I don't cause any harm to you. They were so proud to have you as their new-born child, and they trusted me completely that I would protect you… I'm angry at myself that I wasn't able to fulfil that promise…"

Mortifer began crying now. He was sobbing as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"I know of the demise of the _Moonlit Black Cats_. I watched as Kuradeel was about to kill you. And when I saw that he was about to attack Asuna, I interfered and stabbed him while I had my cloak on. I couldn't let either of you go through the pain of having to kill someone. I also know that you and Asuna took a break from the front lines. You went to the 22nd floor and saved Argo from the flying house. I met up with her and she told me about your marriage, which made me happy. I saw you enjoy your honeymoon at your log cabin. And then… I saw you two with Yui."

Asuna started crying even more as she clutched on to the amulet I gave her. _Yui's Heart_.

"She was an amazing daughter. Both of you loved her as much as she loved you. When _The Fatal Scythe_ attacked, I tried protecting you guys but I failed and Yui had to do it herself. I was even more shocked to find about the truth of Yui. Then I saw you met Nishida. I saw you help Nishida reel the fish god that lived inside of the lake, and watched as Asuna killed it with ease. Even though I am wanted, I still followed you to  Grandzam and eavesdropped on you guys through the window, as Heathcliff said earlier. And now, I find myself here dying… How unfortunate…"

Mortifer tried laughing but only started coughing even more. His body, which had only been leaking a continuous stream of darkness, is now beginning to fade, starting with his feet. Mortifer struggled to look up to see his face, and so Violet helped him by resting his head on her lap.

"I guess I'll see you again Kirito… But this time, it's in a better place… At least that's what I hope for…"

Mortifer let go of my hand, closed his eyes, and started smiling. That's when I realized that he can't go… Not yet…

"Mom and Dad… What were they like?" I asked him. Mortifer opened his eyes and he began shedding tears of joy as he began reminiscing about the past.

"Just like our family now, they didn't always like me." Mortifer began explaining, "I was always messing around not listening to them. But they cared for me just like how any parent should. As for resemblance, we looked a lot like our father. I had his eyes while you had Mom's. Speaking of Mom, when you were still in her belly, she would always sing a lullaby right before she slept. It was meant for you in case you also wanted to sleep but had trouble doing so. Dad would crouch down and talk to Mom's belly whenever he got back home from work, hoping his words reached you. They were so happy to see your face when you were born. In my mind, I was thinking they they wanted this one to be the perfect child for them, because I knew I wasn't the one they wanted. I was nowhere close…"

Mortifer's words effectively hit my heart, and it did the same for everyone else. Violet brushed off the tears on Mortifer's face with the sleeve of her shirt whilst letting her own tears fall on his forehead.

"The day after you were born, I made my promise to protect you and they left. Our promise was the last time I heard words come out from their mouths. This whole time, I forgot about that promise. And here I am, sixteen years later, remembering the exact words… I guess I really can't break promises that easily…"

Mortifer's legs have faded up to his knees now. He looked towards Asuna, who was right beside me, crying on my shoulder.

"Asuna… Promise me that you will keep my brother safe and happy. Promise that, okay?" Mortifer asked her. Asuna wiped the tears off her eyes and smiled at him, nodding.

"Okay… I promise…"

Mortifer looked upwards to see Violet's face. She was holding both of his hands tightly, kissing the silver ring he wore around one of his fingers whilst letting her tears fall on his hand.

"I told you that I was going to get you out of here… I love you Violet, but I don't want to see you die, just like Kirito." He said whilst smiling. He then looked towards the guild and gave them a stern expression, "All of you… Take care of Violet for me when I'm gone… You guys better not do anything to hurt her."

The _Reapers of Sorrow_ … The most feared guild in all of Aincrad after the fall of _Laughing Coffin_ , is now saluting and crying as their leader died right in front of their eyes. Mortifer started coughing again and pointed to a certain place. I followed where he pointed and saw his two swords. Klein and Agil both had the same idea and fetched it for me.

"Thanks you guys." I told them. They went back into the crowd and continued watching.

I gave the swords to Mortifer who held it gingerly. A light grew from one sword, while a darkness oozed out of the other. They both clumped together by Mortifer's feet and began forming a silhouette. The silhouette then started gaining some color until it became a person. Well, it was more like a ghost as the man was slightly transparent and had a white aura. The man had spiky blonde hair and carried a large sword on his back. For some reason, I recognized him.

"Hey Mortifer. That was one heck of a battle we had just now." He laughed. Both he and Mortifer were laughing. How can they be laughing at a time like this?

"Yes… It definitely was Cloud." Mortifer laughed out. "But there was less light in the dungeon than in here. Everyone, this is Cloud Strife, a super-advanced Artificial Intelligence, just like Yui. Cloud is my mentor and is also the person who trained me to fight this well. You may all think I'm nothing but a dark monster. I probably am, but Cloud taught me one thing…"

Mortifer's chest was starting to glow and a small ball of light came out from his heart.

"No matter how dark the darkness is, there is always a light to guide you your way."

Mortifer slowly reached for the light and touched it, unable to close his hand on it. Cloud put his hand on Mortifer's light and grabbed it. He motioned for us to do the same. Violet, Asuna, Cloud, and I all held onto Mortifer's hand. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Klein holding my shoulder, then Agil did the same. Everyone, even the clearers who despised Mortifer, touched each other on the shoulder or back, making some sort of connection to Mortifer's light.

"Before I go, I have to tell you guys something… Something important." Mortifer began speaking, "You guys may not believe me, but when we go back to the real world, you will see for yourself."

"Mortifer… W-What are you talking about?" Violet asked him.

"I am already dead…" Mortifer declared, "I have been dead ever since that night, more than a year ago…"

"W-What do you mean?" I asked my brother, "You're here with right now, aren't you? You can't be dead."

"I thought that as well when Cloud told me the truth long ago, back when I was still in that damn cave… Cloud, explain it to them…" All of us looked at the ghostly apparition. The spikey haired guy sighed as he looked up from Mortifer and observed all of our faces.

"May 4th, 2023, Mortifer died from falling into the ocean at the Edge of the World in the 24th Floor. Before the NerveGear fried his brain, his soul fought against the system and was saved by none other than Kayaba Akihiko, who put his soul into this body. What you are seeing is not the real Mortifer, but a shadow of him. His body has long perished and is most likely in the ground now."

"W-What?!" Violet cried, "So, you're saying… You're saying this isn't even Mortifer?!"

"This is Mortifer's conscious. He thinks, acts, and moves just like the real one did. All you've been seeing is an illusion of Mortifer. A fake copy of his existence put into the game by Kayaba Akihiko himself in hopes of learning how someone could defy the laws of his own game and for how long."

"After my execution, I decided to leave you guys because I noticed there was something off with my body. All the sensations of my body started disappearing. My body felt cold no matter how much clothing I wore. It truly felt like I was dead. Even now, I can't even feel the warmth of your hands. The smell of your wonderful hair. My vision is blurring slightly and my hearing has worsened. Right before we left to embark on our journey here, I tried getting a taste of your food only to find that I can't taste anything anymore. It really feels like I am dead…"

"So… So…" Violet tried speaking but too many tears were being shed from her eyes, "All those memories I had with you after that night are not real?! The person who gave me this necklace and married me wasn't even the Mortifer that I knew, loved and cared about?!"

"No…" Mortifer spoke, "Those memories you had of me are real. But if you are referring to the Mortifer you once knew, then yes, those memories are fake. But there is one thing I am sure of Violet…"

Violet looked at Mortifer, who smiled at her despite the terrible mood everyone was in, especially her.

"I am sure that if the real me were still here, he would be doing the exact same things that I am doing now. After all, I am Mortifer's soul. And Kirito…"

"W-What?" I stammered, unable to comprehend the situation due to the tragic reveal.

"I have always loved you, from the bottom of my heart. Ever since you were born, I loved and cared about you. I just wish it was the real me who was telling you this… And I also wish I had shown it to you sooner…" Mortifer whispered to me.

He was crying. Half of his body has faded. Only his upper body remains. He looked towards his guild who all looked at him.

"I've only been with you guys for such a short time, but it feels like forever to me. And Violet…" Mortifer continued speaking. Violet looked at him in the eyes, "You may hate me for keeping it a secret, and I am sorry if it is going to cause you pain. I truly am. I just want you to promise me that you are going to move on and forget about me. If you don't do that, then I'm going to keep hindering your life. I don't want that to happen. All I want, is for you to be happy.

A tear ran down Violet's cheek and Mortifer caught it with his spare hand. We all watched in silence as my brother faded away.

"The Voices…" Mortifer mumbled out. He closed his eyes and a a small smile grew in his face, "They finally stopped…"

He let go of the light and his arms went slump. He closed his eyes as he burst into a million pieces. The death animation in Sword Art Online. Those pieces then faded into darkness. The light that we were all connected to faded, along with the darkness that leaked out of Mortifer's body. Violet broke down completely and Asuna rushed to her side. The clearers didn't move or speak. Most of them had no clue what just happened and nobody could blame them since they barely knew Mortifer. I on the other hand, was completely frozen. My mind just couldn't process what had happened. Cloud then grabbed Mortifer's two swords and held them.

"I can't tell if I made the right decision to let him live up till now, or let him die back then so we all could avoid this pain…" Cloud spoke, "After witnessing the events that just transpired, I am truly sorry for all of you who were close to him. And I hope that you can move on from this Violet…"

Cloud's ghostly apparition was then absorbed into the two blades, which hovered and spun in circles until they both faded away. Then we heard a loud ringing noise that came from every direction. Everyone stood up, wondering what was happening. Then we heard a voice announcing something.

"As of November 7th, 2:55 PM, the game has been cleared." It said, "The game has been cleared."

At that moment, the whole world turned white.

 **(Violet)**

I opened my eyes and found myself in some weird place above the clouds. I was standing on a floating glass platform. And then I heard a voice.

"Violet?" the voice said. I turned around to see Kirito and Asuna standing right beside each other, and holding hands.

"W-Where are we?" I stuttered.

I looked around and saw nothing but the sky. But then Asuna pointed downwards and I looked over the edge of the platform we were on. I witnessed the Floating Castle Aincrad as it began falling from the sky, each of its floors slowly breaking down. I saw the Island that we lived in fall into nothingness. I had so many memories in that island. But why do I not feel any sadness?

"Impressive view, isn't it?" I heard another voice say. I turned to see someone in a white suit standing there.

"Kayaba Akihiko?" Kirito gasped.

This is Kayaba Akihiko? This guy is the creator of Sword Art Online? Although I should be angry at the man, I wasn't. I felt like I was in complete peace, except for the fact that I just lost Mortifer.

"Right now, in the basement of Argus Headquarters, the memory banks of the SAO mainframe is being deleted. Every single byte of data will be gone. In a couple of minutes, the whole world will be deleted. All the six-thousand remaining players are being successfully logged out." Kayaba declared.

"What about the dead people? What happens to the four thousand who lost their lives?" Kirito asked the creator.

"They will never regain consciousness ever again. Even if it is a Virtual World, the dead do not return." Kayaba answered.

"Why did you do all of this?" Kirito asked

"Why you ask? For a long time, I've forgotten why I made this world. When I began developing the Full-Dive Environment System… No, even longer before that happened... I longed for nothing but to create a floating castle. A new world that surpassed the laws and boundaries of the real world." Kayaba said. As we listened to him talk, the three of us sat at the edge of the platform, "And now, I've borne witness to someone who surpassed even my own world's laws and boundaries. Your brother, Mortifer, managed to break the boundaries of my world."

We all tilted our heads, remembering that we lost Mortifer just now. Although I remained in peace, I felt a tear run down my cheek.

"I wonder how old I was when I became fascinated with that steel castle floating in the sky." He started to recall, "I wanted to leave the world, and go to that floating castle. It was my only desire, for a long time. You see, I still believe that this castle is out there, in some other world."

"Yeah… it'd be nice if it did exist." Kirito muttered. We all agreed that it would be nice if Aincrad was real. I could live in the island again. With all my friends. And Mortifer…

"That reminds me," Kayaba started saying, "Congratulations on clearing the game. Kirito, Asuna, and Violet. Mortifer was also a big help."

Mortifer. The name repeated several times in my head. Even though it had happened only a few minutes ago, I had somehow forgotten about it.

"What Mortifer and Cloud said, about him being an illusion… Is that true?" I asked Kayaba.

"Unfortunately, it is all true." The man stated. The peace I felt disappeared, and I could feel the lamentation inside my heart, "I was intrigued by Mortifer's resolve and his spirit, and so I saved it from deletion and put it into an advanced NPC. To confirm things, I contacted my assistant in the real world, who had confirmed Mortifer's death. She apparently had difficulty finding his identity but she didn't give me exact details as to why, but I didn't care about them anyway. It really is tragic to see him disappear like that, and I am truly sorry for it. Your brother and your husband was truly a remarkable man who could do the impossible."

Kayaba ended his explanation there and we all stared at the falling Aincrad. The pain in my heart remained, but I could not shed a tear which only made me feel even worse.

"I'll be heading off now…" Kayaba said, breaking the silence, "Good bye Kirito-kun. Asuna-kun. Violet-kun."

Kayaba started walking away from us. A gust of wind blew by and his body quickly dissolved into dust. The particles of dust were then carried off by the wind. The three of us were now alone. We watched as the 100th floor of Aincrad, the Ruby Palace, crumble and disappear.

"I guess this is good bye." Kirito said.

"Before we do disappear, can we exchange our names? Our real names?" Asuna asked us.

"Sure, why not?" I said with a warm smile.

"Kirigaya. Kirigaya Kazuto. That's my real name." Kirito said "I think I turned sixteen last month."

Funny. I thought Kirito would be older. Seventeen at least.

"Kirigaya Kazuto… You are younger than me!" Asuna exclaimed with a smile. "My name is Yuuki Asuna, I am seventeen."

"Yuuki Asuna… You used your real name for your character name?" Kirito questioned her, slightly laughing.

"It was asking for my name and so I put it in! I didn't know anything about video games then!" Asuna yelled whilst blushing, "What about you Violet? What's your name?"

"My name is Yuzuki Ai. I am nineteen." I told them. Then I remembered about Mortifer. "Kirigaya-kun… What was your brother's name?"

"My brother…" Kirito muttered. "His name is Kirigaya Katsumoto. I believe he turned twenty January."

"Kirigaya Katsumoto…" I quietly whispered. The pain in my heart decided to come out and I began bawling. Kirito and Asuna moved closer to comfort me, "I never actually got to ask him myself, or told him my name. I didn't do any of that before that night or even after…"

"Here, I'll tell you my sister's phone number. You can contact me from there."

Kirito slowly whispered to me his sister's phone number and I made sure to remember it fully. Afterwards, I spent my final moments in Sword Art Online, crying my heart out while two kids who are younger than me

 **(Kazuto)**

I could hear people talking. My body felt a bit numb, but otherwise it was fine. I could feel a small, cool breeze blowing past my face. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a ceiling fan above me. That's right… I'm lying down on my hospital bed right now. The thing around my head is the NerveGear. My left arm felt a little weird so I lifted it up to see it. There was a tube connected to it, feeding me with my supply of food and water.

"Onii-chan!" A familiar voice cried out for me. Suddenly, a face appeared at the corner of my vision. The face of my cousin, Kirigaya Suguha, "Onii-chan! You're awake! Oka-san! Oka-san! Kazuto-nii is awake!"

"Is he really?" my aun'ts voice called out. I heard footsteps rushing over and my foster mother's face appeared, "Kazuto-kun!"

"W... Where's Katsu-nii?" I asked them. The two of them held confused expressions, "Suguha… Oba-san… I know Katsu-nii was in the game and he told me something that I couldn't believe. So please tell me… Where is he?"

The two of them were frozen. They looked confused and held questioning expressions. What completely gave the answer away, is the fact that their faces gave no feeling of sadness or empathy. Upon seeing those cold, emotionless expressions, I found my answer. My eyes began tearing up but I fought back since I've been crying too much recently.

"Onii-chan… Katsumoto died a little over a year ago. It was midnight, on the 4th of May, 2023."

 **(Violet)**

 **Half an hour later**

My body felt strange yet numb at the same time. My eyelids were heavy and they refused to open. I could however hear voices. Voices of my family. I could hear my mother, father, and brother.

"All the other victims of Sword Art Online are waking up, so she should be as well." My dad's voice spoke.

"Oka-san, Oto-san, look!" I heard my brother's voice shout out in excitement, "Her heartrate is different from what it was seconds ago! Onee-chan, are you awake?! Onee-chan!"

"Hitori…?" I voiced out though it was weak. My entire family gasped and I finally opened my eyes.

"Ai-chan! You're awake!" my mother cried out.

"I'm so glad!" my dad exclaimed as his eyes began tearing.

"I'm sorry for letting you play Sword Art Online Onee-chan!" my brother apologized, "It was my fault you were stuck there for two years and missed your exams!"

"I don't care about that right now Hitori…" I weakly spoke, "Can you take off my NerveGear?"

My family slowly helped me remove my NerveGear. A nurse came in and helped me sit up. My body was thinner than what I remembered it to be. My skin was pale since I haven't been exposed to sunlight in two years. The purple streaks of my hair has also faded almost completely, with only trace amounts of violet in them. Although I feel bad and look even worse, the one thing that was in my mind was not me at all. No…

"Oka-chan… Can I use your phone please? I need to call someone…" I asked my mom. She looked confused at first but obliged. She handed me her phone and then I paused, "I know this may sound weird, but can you give me some privacy while I make a call to a friend?"

Everyone in the room, even the nurse, was bewildered. My family looked at each other and my brother simply shrugged his shoulders and left. My mom and dad hesitantly left the room. The nurse left last as she needed to record my current readings. I unlocked my mother's phone and began pressing the numbers of the dial pad. It has been so long since I have done this. I inputted the numbers exactly as how Kirito told me, and put the phone next to me ear. The phone rang a few times before someone finally picked it up.

"Hello?" a girl's voice spoke, "Who is this calling?"

"Hello? Is the person speaking of the Kirigaya family?" I asked.

"Yes, it is. Who is this?"

"My name is Yuzuki Ai. I am a friend of Kirigaya Kazuto-kun who was also trapped inside the game with him." I told her, "I would like to speak to him."

"Onii-chan… This Yuzuki-san girl wants to talk to you." The person said as I heard the phone be passed over. The girl must've been Mortifer and Kirito's sister.

"Violet-san?" I heard Kirito's voice although it was rather weak like my own.

"Yes, it's me." I greeted him.

There were a couple moments of silence, followed by the sound of crying. I could hear Kirito's sister trying to comfort Kirito. Just hearing it already gave me the answer I wanted to know, yet I still wanted him to say it out loud. My eyes began tearing up and I could feel my heart slowly sinking down to sadness once again.

"I'm sorry…" Kirito's voice spoke from the phone. He was sobbing, "I really am sorry Violet-san. If I had just known that he was this kind of person at heart, maybe things would've been different…"

"Kirito-kun… What happened to Mortifer-san?" I asked him, despite knowing the answer already. There was a moment of silence until Kirito could finally muster up the courage to tell me what I already knew. Even so, hearing it broke my heart.

"Mortifer… My brother… He was already dead… He had died from his NerveGear frying his brain, on the 4th of May, 2023."

I moved the phone away from my ear and let my arm fall. I hung up without saying another word, although I know Kirito would understand why. Even though I've been crying so much recently, those tear glands in game are not the same as the ones I have in real life, meaning these ones have not shed a single tear for over two years. I reached for one of my pillows and buried my face in it as I let two years' worth of tears come flooding out like a dam opening its floodgates. My family and appointed nurse came rushing into the room to see what was going on only to see me bawling my eyes out.

"Ai-chan! Ai-cha, what's wrong?!" My mother exclaimed, her face filled with worry.

"I… I…" I tried to speak out but I couldn't speak properly nor breathe properly, "I just found out that I had lost someone really close to me…"

"Is it Vitushi-kun? Our cousin?" my brother asked me but I shook my head.

"It's someone you guys don't know… But I knew him very well…"

 **A week later, Kawagoe Cemetery Garden**

It was a rather gloomy day for both me and Kazuto-kun. The skies were covered in rainclouds, which drizzled a cold rain on top of us. I was on a wheelchair while my family's maid stood next to me, holding up an umbrella to protect us from the rain. Kauzto, or Kirito was on crutches instead of a wheelchair. His rehab has been going faster than mine so he can somewhat walk properly now. He came here with his sister and aunt, but they were waiting for him in the car. Kazuto stood out in the rain without protection, but he wore a black hoodie which slightly protected him from the rain.

"Was there a funeral?" I asked Kazuto, whose face held sadness and grief but showed no tears.

"At the time of his death, my family was very busy with things, so Katsu-nii didn't receive a proper funeral." Kazuto informed me, "They simply prepared his body to be buried and then did so. No ceremony was held. Only my family and the people burying him were present, but even then, they didn't stay long…"

"Did you tell them about his true heart?" I questioned him again but she shook his head.

"Katsumoto told you to move on from his death. I felt like that message was also directed to me and everyone else in the _Reapers of Sorrow_ as well…" Kazuto stated, "If I told my family, they would likely think I have gone crazy since it is unlike Katsu-nii to do nice things. After all, he never did many nice things for us. I also didn't tell them because I found a last will he wrote."

"A last will?" I asked, looking at him with a confused expression.

Kazuto reached into his pocket and he pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and handed it to my maid, who then gave it to me. The writing was a bit faded, as if it were written more than four years ago.

"I don't know if it was a serious last will, but his way of writing as well as his word usage makes it seem like it is Katsu-nii. I'm going to warn you now that it is a bit tragic…"

Despite his warning, I began reading.

 _Most people would not even consider writing something like this when they are only sixteen years of age. But to me, it is better to do so now or never. After all, a human life can be taken away as fast as one can blink. One moment, one could be perfectly healthy until they go get their next medical check up and find out they have a fatal disease such as cancer. There are car accidents, homicides, massacres, warfare, and many other terrible things in this world of ours that could very well take away your own life or the life of someone you love. But that one life taken away is one out several billion. The life of a rich entrepreneur is equal to that of a beggar in the streets. Some people may argue and say that the rich entrepreneur can affect other lives positively while a beggar can affect them negatively. But to me, it is not about how they affect a life; it is about if they are human or not. To me, the life of a human is equal to the life of another, no matter what. A rich man is equal to that of a slave from the olden times. That is why I am writing this. I am only one life out of many others who are living in this world. I am writing this so I can tell those who read it to forget about me. I believe that it is not necessary for one to value the life and memories of one who is dead, as it is a waste of their time and happiness. One cannot be happy if they focus on what is sad. So, to whoever is reading this, whether it be my family or someone close to me, I ask you to forget about me and on to the future ahead of you._

 _Sincerely, Kirigaya "Mortifer" Katsumoto_

The last will ended there. Instead of crying, I actually found myself smiling. At first, I didn't know why but then I began remembering all of those happy times I had with Mortifer. His selfless sacrifices. The skull mask which he loved so much. And then his edgy nickname, _The Reaper of Sorrow_. For him to write a letter as depressing as this definitely fits his personality, and that is why I found myself smiling.

"You are smiling too…" Kazuto mumbled. I found him staring at me and a smile grew on his face as well, "Even if he only revealed his true personality to me inside the game, I can tell that the letter perfectly fits in with his persona."

"Yeah… It fits in very well…" I responded.

"Well, I need to go now." Kazuto confessed as he began slowly walking away with his crutches, "I hope you have fun in Kyoto. I've also managed to message the rest of your guild on the whereabouts of Katsu-nii's grave."

"Thanks, I guess…" I replied.

"Good bye Violet-san."

"Good bye Kirito-kun."

I watched as Mortifer's younger brother walked back to his family's car. I watched him enter the car and disappear from my sights as the car turned the corner to leave the cemetery. I remained sitting on my wheelchair, staring at Mortifer's grave. I repeated Mortifer's promise in my head and mustered up enough courage to say it, one last time.

"I love you Kirigaya Katsumoto-kun… Good bye…"

/

/

/

 _I'm not really afraid of making tragic stories. In fact, the original plot of this story was much, MUCH more tragic than this (hint: Violet dies at the 50th Floor of Aincrad and Mortifer becomes a mass murderer; he still dies in the end as well). Anyways, if it was hard to understand or somewhat repetetive, I'm sorry. I wrote this alternate ending in one day in less than three hours. I do apologize if it is bad or not but at this point, I don't care as much. With this alternate ending, **The Darkness Within Part 1** is officially finished!_

 _Good Bye Now!_

 _\- Mortifer V_


End file.
